HarperCollins UK has launched Book Squad, a new collaboration between education and children’s imprints Collins, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Farshore and Barrington Stoke, aimed at supporting reading for pleasure in primary schools.
HarperCollins said Book Squad had been developed to help “break down and dispel the perception of reading as a subject to learn, instead creating a culture where reading is enjoyed”.
Hosted on collins.co.uk, Book Squad will give free access to unique content about children’s literature, in-depth research, guidance, reading recommendations for all ages and interests, and free resources for use in the classroom. Book Squad also features exclusive content from HarperCollins’ bestselling children’s authors and illustrators.
The Book Squad site will also be the home of the Reading for Pleasure Awards, which are run in collaboration with the Open University and the UK Literacy Trust. Award-winning entries will appear on the site as case studies, to provide inspiration for teachers looking to implement new initiatives in their schools and build a reading for pleasure culture.
Alex Beecroft, managing director of Collins, said: “With this exciting and diverse range of new content and resources, our goal is to engage, inspire and support teachers as they develop a culture of reading for pleasure in their schools.”
Cally Poplak, managing director and publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books and Farshore, said: “Our 2023 Storytime in School research indicates that frequently reading aloud to children is highly effective at motivating independent reading, and also has a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, with 65% of boys and 76% of girls agreeing that story time makes them feel calm.
“Book Squad aims to break down and dispel the perception of reading as a subject to learn, instead creating a culture where reading is enjoyed, where exciting and engaging books are made, where reading is chosen by all children.’
