thereader.org.uk

Our wonderful Reader Leaders are a fountain of knowledge when it comes to stories and poems that spark inspiration, connection and the joy of reading together. As we welcome the summer season in all its brightness and bloom, we thought we'd ask some of our Reader Leaders to share their favourite poems they’ve explored in Shared Reading groups recently. From thought-provoking reflections to uplifting verses, these are the poems that have resonated most with them and their groups.

'Green shoots' must be welcomed but the roots of the challenge can’t be overlooked. We’ve taken some time to digest the most recent findings from the National Literacy Trust’s 2025 Annual Literacy Survey which reports a modest rise in children’s reading engagement, the first increase reported in five years.

Skip navigation to main content Home › Something More › June’s Title Pick for Children: Heidi by Johanna Spyri Written by Rebecca Hodge, 2nd June 2026 ‘But Heidi did not stir; she had no need now to wander about, for the great burning longing of her heart was satisfied; she was at home again on the mountain.’ I can’t remember a time I didn’t love Heidi.

Skip navigation to main content Home › Something More › June’s Title Pick for Adults: Stand By Me by Wendell Berry Written by Rebecca Hodge, 2nd June 2026 I remember very well joining an online Shared reading session for staff during one of the Covid lockdowns and reading a short section from the title story in Wendell Berry’s collection Stand By Me. In this extract, the narrator keeps company with a father who has just learned that his son Tom, a soldier in the Second World War, has been...

Written by Rebecca Hodge, 2nd June 2026 Making a home isn’t a one-off, one-time activity, even if you live in the same place all your life. The theme for this pack is about building, maintaining and taking care of the people and places that we call home.

Jamie, aged 37, volunteers at Project 6 in Doncaster, a service offering free and confidential support around alcohol and other drug use. He attends a weekly Shared Reading group where members connect and share experiences using stories and poems. There is no pressure to talk or read aloud. “I’m 37 now, I’ve been sober for 10 months, and it was a 20-year struggle before that. I started volunteering at Project 6 in January, and the Shared Reading group has been a staple of the week here since then.

Home › Something More › April’s Title Pick for Children: The Very Noisy House by Sally Nicholls Written by Rebecca Hodge, 1st April 2026 ‘SQUEEEAK’ goes the garden gate, ‘RING RING’, ‘KNOCK KNOCK’, ‘DING DONG’ at the door. Readers are invited to pay a visit to The Very Noisy House, to see what they can see, but most importantly, notice what they can hear, in each and every room.

Stuart ‘Stu’, 42, originally from Selby, Yorkshire, now a resident at Liverpool’s Damien John Kelly House (DJK) House in Wavertree, Liverpool - an abstinence-based recovery centre for men with alcohol or drug substance use disorder. He attends a weekly Shared Reading group at The Reader’s home in Calderstones Park, South Liverpool. Members of DJK House connect and share experiences using stories and poems. There is no pressure to talk or read aloud.

National reading charity World Book Day® is teaming up with Shared Reading charity The Reader for flagship UK celebration on Thursday 5 March. Families are invited to join in the fun at The Reader’s home in beautiful Calderstones Park, Liverpool.

National reading charity World Book Day is partnering with Shared Reading charity The Reader for a fun-filled day in Liverpool’s Calderstones Park on Thursday 5 March, bringing the joy of reading to 1,000 children as part of the National Year of Reading. The event will bring together schools and families for a vibrant, inclusive celebration designed to make reading feel exciting, playful and pressure-free.