Competition launched in celebration of National Year of Reading 2026, encouraging children to ‘Go All In’ on reading with 25‑word book review challenge
TGJones has launched a nationwide competition for UK primary schoolchildren and primary schools, with a total prize value of over £17,000 up for grabs.
The ‘Bitesize Bookworms’ competition supports the National Year of Reading 2026, the biggest campaign in a generation designed to inspire everyone to discover a passion for reading and embed it into our everyday lives.
A Department for Education initiative supported by the National Literacy Trust, the National Year of Reading is delivered with the support of major sponsors and partners, including TG Jones. Primary school children across the country will be asked to share what they love about their favourite book – in 25 words or less.
Each winner will receive a £200 TGJones Gift Card, plus £4,000 of books and stationery for their school, while runners-up will win a £50 TGJones Gift Card and £500 of equipment for their school.
All entrants will be in with a chance of winning the huge prize, with three winners and nine runners up to be selected by an expert panel of literary judges, including primary school teacher turned rapper MC Grammar, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan.
Competition entries will be split across three primary school age groups, with one winner and three runners-up from each group.
- Reception – Year Two (England & Wales) / Primary 1-3 (Scotland & Northern Ireland)
- Year Three – Year Four (England & Wales) / Primary 4-5 (Scotland & Northern Ireland)
- Year Five – Year Six (England & Wales) / Primary 6-7 (Scotland & Northern Ireland)
The competition has been launched after a poll of 1,500 schoolchildren between the ages of 5 and 12 years old found that they spend over 6.8 hours a week reading, with an average of 3.8 hours spent reading for pleasure, and 3 hours a week spent reading for homework.
This trumps time spent on other activities including gaming (5.5 hours a week), playing outside (6.2 hours) and even chatting with their friends (5.8 hours).
The National Year of Reading aims to change the perception of reading, and redefine it as a modern, relevant and social activity. The campaign encourages the nation to Go All In in 2026, reading into our passions and interests to get more out of the things we already love, whether it’s football, gaming, music, sci-fi, or baking.
The competition adds to the momentum, providing an opportunity to encourage new readers to pick up a book, and share their recommendations with others to spark a conversation about reading.
MC Grammar (Jacob Mitchell) commented: “I can’t wait to hear of the adventures and wonders that kids have discovered within the pages of the books they’ve loved.
“The knowledge they have gained will help shape their lives, and now they have the chance to share that magic with the world – inspiring more readers, everywhere, to open a book and dream.”
David Hayman, Director of the National Year of Reading 2026 said: “Reading has the power to open doors, spark imagination and build confidence in every child.
“Through the National Year of Reading 2026, we’re encouraging families, schools and communities to rediscover the joy of books and inspire a lifelong love of reading.
“We’re incredibly grateful to TG Jones and all of our partners for their support and their shared commitment to making reading a relevant and rewarding part of everyday life.”
Alex Willson, CEO of TGJones and Head Judge of Bitesize Bookworms, said: “Nothing is more creative than a child’s imagination and we want to celebrate that unfiltered, accidental comedy that comes from a child giving their honest opinion about their favourite book.
“Reading is so important for a child’s development, and as partners of the National Year of Reading 2026 we hope this campaign encourages more children to pick up their favourite book.”
When it comes to why children want to read more, polling showed that 52% are driven by the desire to learn new things, 40% said they were inspired to pick up a book based on its cover, while 33% want to keep up with what their friends are reading.
The surge in engagement is fuelled by a love of enduring characters and stories that continue to capture children’s imaginations. The research revealed that JK Rowling’s boy wizard Harry Potter (36%) was the most popular storybook character among primary school-aged children.
In second place was Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo with 20%, followed by Roald Dahl’s Matilda with 18%. Marmalade loving Paddington Bear came in fourth place with 16% of the vote, with 15% voting for Peter Rabbit.
When it came to the nation’s favourite children’s authors, JK Rowling topped the charts with 28% of the vote. Roald Dahl was in second place with 23%, followed by Julia Donaldson with 18%. Jeff Kinney, best known as the author and illustrator of ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ secured 10% of the nation’s vote, and ‘The Cat In The Hat’ author Dr. Seuss came fifth with 9% of the vote.
School children who want to share why they love their favourite books can enter via the online entry page, which remains open until 23:59 on Friday 5th June 2026.
TOP TEN CHILDREN’S FAVOURITE STORYBOOK CHARACTERS
- Harry Potter – 36%
- The Gruffalo – 20%
- Matilda – 18%
- Paddington Bear – 17%
- Peter Rabbit – 15%
- Peter Pan – 13%
- Alice (Alice in Wonderland) – 13%
- Horrid Henry – 12%
- Willy Wonka – 12%
- The Cat In The Hat – 12%
TOP TEN CHILDREN’S FAVOURITE AUTHORS
- JK Rowling – 29%
- Roald Dahl – 24%
- Julia Donaldson (The Gruffalo) – 19%
- Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpey Kid) -11%
- Dr Seuss (The Cat in the Hat) – 10%
- Beatrix Potter (Peter Rabbit) – 9%
- Dav Pilkey (Dog Man) – 8%
- Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar) – 7%
- A.A Milne (Winne the Pooh) – 7%
- Francesca Simon (Horrid Henry) – 7%
Chatterbooks, our P4-7 book group, is on this Tuesday from 6 – 7pm. 
