This year is the National Year of Reading, a moment to celebrate the transformative power of books and stories, while also confronting an uncomfortable reality: fewer children and young people are choosing to read for pleasure than at any point in recent memory.

Against that backdrop, something remarkable has been happening in Parliament. Over the past few months, the Education Select Committee has been conducting a major inquiry into Reading for Pleasure. Bringing together academics, authors, school librarians, literacy charities, publishers, booksellers, early years experts and government ministers, the inquiry was established to answer one deceptively simple question: "How do we help more children become readers for life?"

The inquiry held five oral evidence sessions featuring 24 witnesses between February and June 2026, plus a final ministerial evidence session on 2nd June 2026 which moved from "Why does reading for pleasure matter?" to "What is government actually going to do about it?"

At LoveReading4Kids, we've been following the evidence closely. Not simply because reading is at the heart of everything we do, but because the themes emerging from the enquiry echo so many of the conversations we've been having with parents, teachers, librarians, publishers and young readers for years. They chime with everything we do. Every decision we make. 

The Level of Agreement

What has been striking is the level of agreement. Although the witnesses came from very different backgrounds, their messages were remarkably consistent.

Children need access to books.

Children need choice.

Children need trusted adults who read.

Children need libraries.

Children need time to read.

And perhaps most importantly of all, children need opportunities to discover that reading is something they can enjoy. They need that agency. 

Reading Is About More Than Reading

One of the strongest themes running through the inquiry was that reading for pleasure is not simply about literacy. Witness after witness described reading as something much bigger.

Reading supports language development.

Reading improves educational outcomes.

Reading helps children understand themselves and others.

Reading supports wellbeing.

Reading builds empathy, confidence and curiosity.

Professor Teresa Cremin and other leading researchers presented evidence showing that children who read for pleasure often benefit across multiple areas of their lives, not just within the classroom. In other words, reading for pleasure isn't a luxury. It's a foundation for learning and life.

Reading Matters Beyond the Classroom

Jonathan Douglas, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, reminded MPs that reading for pleasure is about far more than educational attainment. Reading supports confidence, wellbeing, empathy and life chances, making it one of the most powerful tools we have to help children thrive. For Jonathan, creating readers is not simply an education challenge. It is a societal one.

The Case for School Libraries

Victoria Dilly, Chief Executive of the School Library Association, delivered some of the most compelling evidence heard by the Committee. Her message was simple but powerful: "We are in a reading crisis and school librarians are the specialists." She argued that every child should have access to a staffed school library and that school libraries should be seen as essential educational infrastructure rather than optional enrichment.

As we champion each and every day, libraries provide access to books. But they also provide something equally important. Choice. Discovery. Safe spaces. Reading communities. And of course, our beloved librarians - skilled professionals who know how to match the right child with the right book at the right time.

For anyone who has ever watched a reluctant reader suddenly discover a book they love, that argument will feel very familiar.

Access Shouldn't Depend on Your Postcode

Again and again, witnesses returned to a difficult truth: access to books, libraries and reading opportunities remains uneven across the UK. For some children, books are everywhere. Homes are filled with stories. Visits to bookshops and libraries are routine. Reading is visible. For others, access is far more limited. Remember that 1 in 10 children and young people aged 5–18 in the UK do not have a book of their own at home. The inquiry repeatedly explored how poverty, inequality and declining library provision can create barriers to reading long before a child enters a classroom.

Reading Is Social

Another fascinating strand of evidence came from friend of LoveReading4Kids, Dr Roger McDonald, whose work focuses on creating reading cultures within schools. His research challenges the common perception that reading is a solitary activity.

Readers are often created through conversations. Recommendations. Friendships. Communities. Book talk. Children become readers when reading becomes part of the culture around them. When books are visible. When adults talk about what they are reading. When children recommend books to eachother. When reading feels like something people do together rather than something done to them.

It's a powerful reminder that reading for pleasure doesn't happen by accident. It thrives in environments where books and stories are valued.

The Importance of Reading Role Models

The inquiry also heard compelling evidence about the role families play in creating readers. Professor Christine O'Farrelly highlighted the importance of children's earliest experiences with books, stories and shared reading. Her evidence reminded MPs that reading begins long before a child can read independently. It begins with cuddles on the sofa. Bedtime stories. Picture books. Conversations. Shared moments. Reading, she argued, is not simply an educational activity. It's a relationship.

That message was reinforced by Debbie Hicks, who highlighted the importance of adult reading habits and role models. One of the most striking themes of her evidence was that children need to see adults reading. Not just encouraging reading. Reading themselves. Because children learn that reading matters when they see the people around them valuing it.

One of the most striking pieces of evidence presented to the Committee was that one in five children say that seeing adults read would encourage them to read more themselves. In other words, if we want to create a new generation of readers, we need to be readers too.

Debbie's evidence served as an important reminder that reading for pleasure isn't solely the responsibility of schools, libraries or publishers. Creating readers requires a culture where books are visible, reading is celebrated and stories are shared across generations. In the National Year of Reading, that's a challenge for all of us.

Reading as a Right

One of the most memorable contributions came from Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Throughout his evidence, he challenged the idea that reading should primarily be viewed through the lens of assessment, attainment and academic outcomes. Reading matters because it brings joy. Because it sparks imagination. Because it helps children understand the world. Because it offers comfort, adventure, laughter and escape.

His message was a timely reminder that while reading undoubtedly supports educational success, children do not become readers because they are told reading is good for them. They become readers because they discover books they love.

What Happens Next?

The inquiry has now concluded its evidence sessions and the Committee will move on to preparing its final report. That report is expected to make recommendations to Government on how reading for pleasure can be supported across schools, libraries, families and communities. We await those recommendations with great interest.

But perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the inquiry is that so many voices from across the reading world have come together around a shared vision. A vision in which every child has access to books. Every child has opportunities to choose what they read. Every child is supported by adults who value reading. And every child has the chance to discover the joy that comes from getting lost in a great story.

Our National Year of Reading Series

At LoveReading4Kids, we believe these conversations are too important to end when the inquiry does.

Over the coming months, as part of the National Year of Reading, we'll be launching a special series exploring the themes raised by the Parliamentary inquiry in greater depth.

We'll be taking a closer look at the evidence, speaking to some of the experts who appeared before MPs, and exploring what their insights mean for parents, teachers, librarians and young readers.

We'll delve into topics including:

  • Why reading for pleasure matters
  • The future of school libraries
  • Building reading cultures in schools
  • Family reading and early years development
  • Reading role models
  • Access to books and inequality
  • The recommendations emerging from Parliament

Most importantly, we'll be asking a simple question: How do we create a nation of readers? Because that's at the heart of what we do here at LoveReading, LoveReading4Kids and LoveReading4Schools.