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Bookshop.org announces ambassadors Alexander Armstrong, Catherine Rayner, Andy Day and more for Read It Forward
Bookshop.org is delighted to bring back its popular charitable initiative Read It Forward, in an expanded partnership with BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust, with 10% of every children’s book sale in February 2025 (including pre-orders) donated to the charities, while also supporting independent bookshops.
Top children’s authors will once again throw their support behind the charitable drive, with actor, comedian, TV presenter and author of Evenfall: The Golden Linnet Alexander Armstrong, multi-award-winning author and illustrator (for writers including Julia Donaldson) Catherine Rayner, beloved children’s TV presenter and author of the Dino Dad series Andy Day, The Week Junior Book Award winning Serena Patel, and Carnegie Medal nominatedNadine Aisha Jassat among the new Ambassadors for 2025.
This year’s campaign comes amidst a worrying decline in children’s reading habits in the UK. BookTrust's researchreveals that fewer than 1 in 3 of 10–11-year-olds in England really enjoy reading. Meanwhile, Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell Boyce used his inaugural ‘Reading Rights Summit’ in Liverpool last month to urge parents and carers to read to children more often, citing new research from BookTrust which shows that “6 in 10 parents and carers of 0-7 year-olds wish they had known earlier just how important it is to read and share stories regularly with their children, and wish they had started doing so sooner.”
The aim of Read It Forward is to inspire a love of reading in the next generation, with the money raised byBookshop.org going towards children’s reading charities BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust’s work in providing access to reading support to children from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds. Last year’s Read It Forward recorded double digit year on year sales of children’s and YA titles on Bookshop.org, with the proceeds going to over 1,000 families, bringing books to children who need them the most.
The 2025 charity drive comes amid a flurry of new children’s book releases in February, including: Sam Sedgman’sThe Forbidden Atlas, MG Leonard’s Hunt for the Golden Scarab, Tom Percival’s Squirrel and Duck, Debi Gliori’sCome What May, Nizrana Farook’s Eid for Nylah, Karen McCombie’s World of Wanda, Ella Dove’s How To Roller-Skate with One Leg, Jenny McLachlan’s Dragon Riders of Roar, MC Grammar’s The Adventures of Rap Kid, Petr Horácek’s The Found Things, Lucy Strange’s The Boy at the Window, Tom McLaughlin’s Alan, King of the Universe, RAMZEE’s The Cheat Book vol 2, and Camilla Reid’s Is Dot in the House.
Customers are also encouraged to place their pre-orders for some of the biggest children’s titles for the first half of 2025, including Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s The Blockbusters and Chris Riddell’s A Mermaid’s Diary, Jessie Burton’sHidden Treasure, Julia Donaldson’s Gozzle (illustrated by Sara Ogilvie), and Hiba Noor Khan’s The Line They Drew Through Us.
Alexander Armstrong, author, presenter, and Read It Forward 2025 Ambassador, said:
“Bookshop.org’s Read It Forward is a hugely inspiring initiative. Not only does it recognise the importance of getting children reading, and provide support for the phenomenal work of BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust, but it also throws a spotlight onto all our brilliant independent bookshops across the UK. That is where the magic is discovered by young readers after all, and they do such a fantastic job. Throughout February, I hope many families, educators and teachers will make the most of this charity drive and discover loads of wonderful new children’s books.”
Catherine Rayner, author/illustrator and Read It Forward 2025 Ambassador, said: “Reading for pleasure is one of the greatest joys in life and is something every child should get to experience, which is why I’m thrilled to be supporting Read It Forward in 2025. Books open up whole new worlds and opportunities to children, so I encourage book buyers to get behind this wonderful charity drive and help spread the benefits of reading far and wide.”
Andy Day, author and Read It Forward 2025 Ambassador, said: “Storytelling brings such joy to children: there really is no greater gift you can give a child than a book. I’m thrilled to support Bookshop.org’s Read It Forward campaign this month, so that fantastic charities like BookTrust and Scottish BookTrust can continue to provide books to families who need them most, helping to nurture and inspire the storytellers of tomorrow."
Serena Patel, author and Read It Forward 2025 Ambassador, said: “I am delighted to support the Read it Forward campaign this year. I think encouraging reading is important for all of us, at every age but especially for our children and young people. Reading opens up new worlds and endless possibilities, brings joy and hope, creates empathy and is powerful in so many ways. I hope you’ll join me in supporting this brilliant initiative!”
Nadine Aisha Jassat, author and Read It Forward 2025 Ambassador, said: “I am so excited to be supporting the Scottish Book Trust and BookTrust as part of Bookshop.org’s Read it Forward campaign. Sharing books with children connects them to their imaginations and the world around them, and encourages a love of reading for life. Let’s spread the joy of children’s reading together, and help connect even more children with books, characters and stories.”
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Scottish Book Trust is delighted to be joining BookTrust and Bookshop.org for Read it Forward in 2025. Funds raised will help us support young families facing challenging circumstances through our specialist early years outreach programme. Bookbug for the Home helps families to share stories, songs and rhymes with their babies and children, which is a vital first step in building a love of reading, as well as developing early communication and language skills. Bookshop.org has featured on our book lists for some time, and we are also committed to supporting independent bookshops who make such an important contribution to their local and wider reading communities.”
Diana Gerald MBE, CEO of BookTrust, said: “We’re incredibly grateful that the Read It Forward initiative will support our cause and helping us change lives through reading. We know that reading for pleasure can be both magical and transformative for the lives of children and is something that every child in the UK should experience, no matter their background."
Shelley Firth, bookseller, Darling Reads, added: “We really enjoyed taking part in Read It Forward last year and look forward to sharing some more wonderful recommendations for children and young adults as part of Read It Forward 2025. We truly love welcoming young readers through our doors so any opportunity to support children accessing and engaging with reading is very important to us. It's also a great way for us to shout about some exceptional children's book authors and illustrators! We are proud to be part of the Bookshop.org community and hope to make a difference to families in need of a bit of support and joy. “
Nicole Vanderbilt, Managing Director of Bookshop.org UK, said: “Whether it’s through our curated reading lists for kids or our special Children’s Books of the Month, we’re passionate about sharing the joy of early reading – which is why Bookshop.org is proud to deliver its second-ever Read It Forward charity drive this month. No child deserves to go without the enriching benefits of reading so this February, we encourage our customers to purchase a children’s book to help support the important work done by BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust in providing literacy programmes for vulnerable and disadvantaged families. Your purchase will not only support indie bookshops – as per our ongoing mission – but also the next generation of readers.”
Find out more about Read It Forward here. A comprehensive toolkit, including social media assets, is available at this link. Follow the latest developments on social media using the hashtag #ReadItForward.