Everyone A Reader
As part of our suite of school library gifting programmes, we have a secondary school model aimed at secondary schools called: Everyone A Reader. Research shows that reading for pleasure declines in teenagers and this project seeks to bring them back to the bookshelf through a range of supports. We hope to enable positive, sustainable changes in these schools by providing modern, diverse and inclusive books, engaging resources, and inspiring visits from Champions of Reading.
We aim to make reading part of the fabric of school life, and to create a buzz and excitement for the whole school community. We want every student to feel part of their library's success and to rediscover reading for joy in their school library.
In our recently published Children and young people’s reading in Ireland report 2025 we discovered that 24% of Irish teenagers (aged 13–18) and 19% of boys across all age categories are not reading for pleasure While a mere 5% of children aged 5–12 were reported not to read for pleasure, the rates of reading for pleasure are lowest in Irish teenagers and particularly pronounced in boys. This is a worrying trend that we see internationally. The decline in reading beyond the primary school years is concerning and is also in keeping with national and international trends as young people’s lives become increasingly busy and they often reach for screens instead of stories.
To combat this, the Everyone A Reader programme seeks to reignite the joy of reading by giving secondary schools access to books and choice on what books they would like to see on their library's bookshelves. The project kicks off in each school with a library launch, with each school receiving a diverse collection of excellent titles, covering all ages and interests. We are keen for students to see themselves in the books on their shelves, and to have a window to other cultures and other worlds through reading.
Each school is also assigned its very own a Champion of Reading – an author, illustrator or storyteller whose role is to encourage creativity and exploration of the new school library over a series of live workshops. There are even pre-recorded video workshops provided for every class in every school, delivered by different Champions of Reading. Teachers are supported in making the most of the new collection with useful resources such as resource packs, reading guides, and themed reading lists, expertly prepared by the Children's Books Ireland team. And there's even something for parents, with each teenager provided with a flyer to bring home to their families, providing tips on sharing a love of reading.
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- A diverse collection of excellent modern titles, covering all ages, interests, genres, forms, themes and issues
- Live workshops (via Zoom if necessary) with a school-specific Champion of Reading – an author, illustrator or storyteller whose role is to encourage creativity and exploration of the new school library
- Posters and bunting for school displays, and stickers and bookmarks
- Flyers for families with tips on fostering a love of reading
- Resource packs with activities and discussion points relating to books in your new collection
- Reading guides and themed reading lists on topics such as Growing Up, Protecting Our Planet, Mental Heath & Well-being, Diversity & Inclusion, Going Green, Rhyme & Verse, Graphic Novels, and Sport.
- All secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are eligible for the Everyone A Reader programme
- We are particularly interested in schools that are in need of books and support, and where we feel we can best make an impact
- We are also seeking schools that are already making efforts to develop a culture of reading, whatever their resources
The callout for applications takes place in January of each year.
Please contact bookgifting@childrensbooksireland.ie should you have any further queries in regards to this or any of our book gifting initiatives.
Applications must be made by a member of school staff. This ensures we get a complete and accurate picture of the school's needs, status, and demographic. Please feel free to encourage your child's school to apply.
