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With the summer fast-approaching, we have the perfect reading material for your book clubs! This year’s theme of The Summer Reading Challenge, in partnership with public libraries and powered by Universal Music Group UK, is ’Read to the Beat’. The Collection aims to inspire children to explore the connection between stories and songs, discovering how reading and music both ignite imagination and creativity. Featuring 55 captivating titles different reading levels including picture books, early readers, and middle grade titles, as well as dyslexia-friendly titles, there is a story for everyone this summer.

This year the Book Collection has unique and diverse characters named Akiko, Ezra, Moussa, Nadiyaa, Skye, Albert, Jade, Patryk, and with animal friends of Pip, Penelope, Cinnamon, Bean and Toots that have their own reading list, thus creating a perfect way for children to pick the character they relate most to and read all of the books on their reading list. These lists will also help you link new and existing library activities to this year’s theme and characters! ‘Read to the Beat’ includes books about musicians, characters discovering music, sound science, cultural traditions, rhythm, storytelling through sound, breaking down barriers to music, creative expression and following your dreams.

The official Read to the Beat Collection is available for purchase via library suppliers or on Bookshop.org.

Please note these titles have been broadly divided into age categories for the Summer Reading Challenge Book Collection but you can find more specific age ratings, including any relevant content warnings, on publisher websites to ensure a title is suitable for your child.

Meet the Characters!

Akiko

Meet Akiko! She loves words which means she enjoys slam poetry and writing her own music. She enjoys reading Manga and getting lost in the imaginative words.

Read like Akiko with these books:
• I Tell Myself I’m Awesome – Joshua Seigal, illustrated by Chris Piascik (Bloomsbury Education) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Be More Olivia Rodrigo – DK (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Melody Queen – Puneet Bhandal (Lantana) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Isadora Moon and the Pop Stars – Harriet Muncaster (Oxford University Press) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Skylar and the K-Pop Head Teacher – Luan Goldie (Walker Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Kofi and the Brand-New Vibe – Jeffrey Boakye (Faber) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Some Bears – Christian Foley, illustrated by Rob Turner (Caboodle Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Happy Hills: Attack of the Giant Danger Kittens – Sophy Henn (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)

Ezra

Ezra finds inspiration in sound and flavour! He is a fan of orchestral music, poetry and experimenting with new recipes.

Read like Ezra with these books:
• Raising the Roof– Jack Pepper, illustrated by Michele Bruttomesso (Bonnier Books – Templar Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• The Color of Sound – Emily Barth Isler (Carolrhoda Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• The Rock Family Band – Robert Tregoning, illustrated by Laura Brenlla (Oxford University Press) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Little Sheku and the Animal Orchestra – Sheku Kanneh-Mason, illustrated by Rekha Salin (Penguin) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Missing Piece – Jordan Stephens, illustrated by Beth Suzanna (Bloomsbury) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Tree Whispers – Mandy Ross, illustrated by Juliana Oakley (Child’s Play) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• How to Build an Orchestra – Mary Auld, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Hachette Wayland) (suitable for ages 8-11)

Moussa

Moussa loves writing lyrics and solving math problems! He is a natural teacher and especially enjoys percussion.

Read like Moussa with these books:
• Busy Little Fingers: Music – Eva Wong Nava, illustrated by Eleonora Marton (Bonnier Books – Big Picture Press) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• My Little Drummer – Sian Radford, illustrated by Gwen Millward (Farshore) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Coorie Doon – Jackie Kay, illustrated by Jill Calder (Walker Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Skipping to Sammy’s Beat – Coral Vass, illustrated by Blithe Fielden (New Frontier Publishing) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Marching Band – Kael Tudor, illustrated by Kate Hindley (Nosy Crow) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Big Time Boogie-Woogie Animal Band – Giles Andreae, illustrated by Nick East (Hachette Orchard Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Life-Changing Magic of Drumming – Nandi Bushell, illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier (Magic Cat Publishing) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Hunt for the Golden Scarab – M. G. Leonard, illustrated by Manuel Sumberac (Macmillan Children’s Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• You Vs the Poison Plot – Josh Hicks (Walker Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)

Nadiyaa

Meet Nadiyaa! She loves taking pictures and being on stage with a band. She loves capturing moments that tell a story and mixing music that expresses her mood and personality.

Read like Nadiyaa with these books:
• Hari Kumar, Ultimate Superstar – Rashmi Sirdeshpande, illustrated by Mamta Singh (HarperCollins Children’s Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• The Wonder – Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Running My Own Race – Abena Eyeson (Nosy Crow) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Gordon Starts a Band – Alex Latimer (Oxford University Press) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• The Piano at the Station – Helen Rutter, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Barrington Stoke) suitable for ages 8-11)
• The Very Noisy House – Sally Nicholls, illustrated by Gosia Herba (Andersen Press) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Big Time Boogie-Woogie Animal Band – Giles Andreae, illustrated by Nick East (Hachette Orchard Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)

Skye

Skye enjoys board games, fashion and choreography! She blends creativity and confidence.

Read like Skye with these books:
• I Tell Myself I’m Awesome – Joshua Seigal, illustrated by Chris Piascik (Bloomsbury Education) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Be More Olivia Rodrigo – DK (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Rebel Girls Rock: 25 Tales of Women in Music – (DK – Rebel Girls) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Gordon Starts a Band – Alex Latimer (Oxford University Press) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Space Band – Tom Fletcher (Puffin) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde – Jeff Kinney (Puffin) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Music of the Mountains – Sabrina Shah, illustrated by Manal Mirza (Barefoot Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Rock Family Band – Robert Tregoning, illustrated by Laura Brenlla (Oxford University Press) (suitable for ages 4-7)

Albert

Albert has a deep love for jazz and enjoys drawing comics. He also collects records while appreciating the stories behind the music.

Read like Albert with these books:
• The Elephant and the Piano – Colette Hiller, illustrated by Nabila Adani (Magic Cat Publishing) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Glory Days in New Orleans! – Bïa, illustrated by Fanny Berthiaume (The Secret Mountain) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• The Piano – Joaquin Camp (The Secret Mountain) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Magic Piano: Dahila and the Land Without Music – James B Partridge, illustrated by Laura Wood (Sweet Cherry) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Meet the Mubbles – Liz Pichon (Macmillan Children’s Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Piano at the Station – Helen Rutter, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Barrington Stoke) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• The Paper Piano – Rachel Ip, illustrated by Natelle Quek (Hodder Children’s Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)

Jade

Jade is a big football fan who enjoys learning languages, painting and using movement to express her ideas!

Read like Jade with these books:
• Girl on the Fly – Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl (David Fickling Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Listening to the Quiet – Cassie Silva, illustrated by Frances Ives (Lantana) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Songs in the Shade of the Cherry Tree – Nathalie Soussana, illustrated by QU Lan (The Secret Mountain) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Lil’ Muffin Drops the Mic – Romesh Ranganathan, illustrated by James Lancett (Puffin) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Put Your Records On – Corinne Bailey Rae, illustrated by Gillian Eilidh O’Mara (Fox & Ink Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Tree Whispers – Mandy Ross, illustrated by Juliana Oakley (Child’s Play) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Color of Sound – Emily Barth Isler (Carolrhoda Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Music of the Mountains – Sabrina Shah, illustrated by Manal Mirza (Barefoot Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)

Patryk

Meet Patryk! He is the ultimate performer and adores making costumes, singing karaoke and being a part of theatre and musicals.

Read like Patryk with these books:
• Bhangra Boogie – Hena Khan, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat (Farshore) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• 1, 2, 3, Do The Unicorn – Michelle Robinson, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw (Farshore) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Twirly Wiggly Dance – Farrah Riaz, illustrated by Navya Raju (Oxford University Press) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• But Dancing is for Girls! – Gyasi Sheppy, illustrated by Ola Snimshchikova (Sweet Cherry) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• My School Musical and Other Punishments – Catherine Wilkins, illustrated by Katie Abey (Nosy Crow) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Carnival Queen – Donette Williams-Harry, illustrated by Amélie-Anne Calmo (Little Tiger) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• All the Wonderful Ways to Move – Laura Baker, illustrated by Sandra de la Prada (Little Tiger) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Doggy Dance Off – Steve Smallman, illustrated by Robert Starling (Little Tiger) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Rebel Girls Rock: 25 Tales of Women in Music – (DK – Rebel Girls) (suitable for ages 8-11)

Pip

Here comes Pip the mouse! His big ears enjoy listening to jazz.

Read like Pip with books like these:
• Glory Days in New Orleans! – Bïa, illustrated by Fanny Berthiaume (The Secret Mountain) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• The Piano – Joaquin Camp (The Secret Mountain) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Big Time Boogie-Woogie Animal Band – Giles Andreae, illustrated by Nick East (Hachette Orchard Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Wonder – Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)

Penelope

Penelope pigeon loves cooing along with other birds in the dawn chorus!

Read like Penelope with these books:
• Tree Whispers – Mandy Ross, illustrated by Juliana Oakley (Child’s Play) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• ABC of Opera: Romantic – Mark Llewelyn Evans, illustrated by Karl Davies (Graffeg) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Coorie Doon – Jackie Kay, illustrated by Jill Calder (Walker Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Songs in the Shade of the Cherry Tree – Nathalie Soussana, illustrated by QU Lan (The Secret Mountain) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Girl on the Fly – Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl (David Fickling Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Gordon Starts a Band – Alex Latimer (Oxford University Press) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Isadora Moon and the Pop Stars – Harriet Muncaster (Oxford University Press) (suitable for ages 8-11)

Cinnamon

Cinnamon the cat loves curling up with (or on) a good book while listening to some classical music.

Read like Cinnamon with these books:
• The Piano – Joaquin Camp (The Secret Mountain) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Magic Piano: Dahila and the Land Without Music – James B Partridge, illustrated by Laura Wood (Sweet Cherry) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Listening to the Quiet – Cassie Silva, illustrated by Frances Ives (Lantana) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Songs in the Shade of the Cherry Tree – Nathalie Soussana, illustrated by QU Lan (The Secret Mountain) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Coorie Doon – Jackie Kay, illustrated by Jill Calder (Walker Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Little Sheku and the Animal Orchestra – Sheku Kanneh-Mason, illustrated by Rekha Salin (Penguin) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Raising the Roof – Jack Pepper, illustrated by Michele Bruttomesso (Bonnier Books – Templar Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• How to Build an Orchestra – Mary Auld, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Hachette Wayland) (suitable for ages 8-11)

Bean

Bean the dog is a bundle of energy and enjoys bouncing around to the beat of bongo drums.

Read like Bean with these books:
• The Twirly Wiggly Dance – Farrah Riaz, illustrated by Navya Raju (Oxford University Press) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• All the Wonderful Ways to Move – Laura Baker, illustrated by Sandra de la Prada (Little Tiger) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Doggy Dance Off – Steve Smallman, illustrated by Robert Starling (Little Tiger) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Busy Little Fingers: Music – Eva Wong Nava, illustrated by Eleonora Marton (Bonnier Books – Big Picture Press) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• My Little Drummer – Sian Radford, illustrated by Gwen Millward (Farshore) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Life-Changing Magic of Drumming – Nandi Bushell, illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier (Magic Cat Publishing) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Skipping to Sammy’s Beat – Coral Vass, illustrated by Blithe Fielden (New Frontier Publishing) (suitable for ages 4-7)

Toots

Toots the snail is a trumpeter and a real entertainer, espe-shell-y at garden parties.

Read like Toots with these books:
• Melody Queen – Puneet Bhandal (Lantana) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• The Color of Sound – Emily Barth Isler (Carolrhoda Books) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Busy Little Fingers: Music – Eva Wong Nava, illustrated by Eleonora Marton (Bonnier Books – Big Picture Press) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Very Noisy House – Sally Nicholls, illustrated by Gosia Herba (Andersen Press) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• The Big Time Boogie-Woogie Animal Band – Giles Andreae, illustrated by Nick East (Hachette Orchard Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Glory Days in New Orleans! – Bïa, illustrated by Fanny Berthiaume (The Secret Mountain) (suitable for ages 8-11)
• Meet the Mubbles – Liz Pichon (Macmillan Children’s Books) (suitable for ages 4-7)
• Carnival Queen – Donette Williams-Harry, illustrated by Amélie-Anne Calmo (Little Tiger) (suitable for ages 4-7)

Unlock endless possibilities and new opportunities to connect with your child readers with ‘Read to the Beat’! You can find out more here: Read to the Beat Collection – Book Information. If you have not done already, join the Book Club Hub and sign up to Book Club Hub Bulletin to find out the latest news for your book club and apply for book club sets in return for reviews. Happy reading!

Other resources

Teachers and schools librarians can get a Schools Pack via the Summer Reading Challenge School Zone.
Read to the Beat Collection – Publisher Supporting Resources
Read to the Beat Collection – Chatterbooks pack for book club sessions
Book Discussion Prompts: Read to the Beat

As a teacher you spend all year recommending books to children. When did you last read one just for you?

The Teachers’ Reading Challenge is your chance to do exactly that, and go back to school inspired. Here’s why it’s worth it.

1. You’ll enjoy it!

The Teachers’ Reading Challenge is about books you choose, at your own pace, across your summer holiday.

You can follow a themed badge – Laugh Out Loud, Poetry Power, Great Graphic Novels, Rebel Grrls, We Are Family Too, Black British Brilliance – or simply read five books from the children’s and YA lists. There’s no fixed order, no assessments, no hoops. Just a genuinely inspiring reading list, and the time to get into it.

2. You’ll find books your class will love

The lists are built around the books children are reading right now. Which means the titles you discover this summer become the recommendations you reach for in September. We know that as a reading role model, your recommendations will really land with your class and start the new academic year off brilliantly.

3. You’ll feel more confident talking about reading

Teachers who took part in the 2025 Challenge highlighted a range of positive impacts, mostly commonly being introduced to new authors and illustrators (81%) and broadening their knowledge of children and young people’s literature (72%). Around two-thirds (67%) also reported feeling more confident in promoting reading for pleasure.

That confidence shows up in small, everyday ways: a better answer when a child asks what to read next. A more instinctive reach for the right book, and a richer, more natural book talk.

4. It connects your reading to your pupils’ reading

One of the things teachers told us they loved most was the link between their own summer reading and what their children were doing. When you have that shared understanding of books, you can meet children where they are.

Several teachers described using their summer reading directly: making classroom displays of staff recommendations, connecting titles to the Summer Reading Challenge, or using what they’d read to spark independent reading time and book clubs. The reading doesn’t stay on holiday – it comes back with you.

5. You’ll be part of something

More than anything, teachers said they joined to be part of a community of readers. Not a formal network. Just the feeling of reading alongside people who care about the same things you do.

One librarian recruited three members of the science department. They read pupil recommendations together and built a library display out of it. “It’s so important for pupils to see teachers engage with books,” she said.

Teachers who responded to our 2025 survey were asked whether they would recommend the Challenge to a colleague – and every teacher who answered said that they would.

Sign up for the Teachers’ Reading Challenge this year. It’s free, it’s flexible, and your summer reading list is waiting!

Save the date! Sign up from 17 June to start empowering your teaching through reading.

Watch the recording of the OU RfP team’s recent ‘OU Newsletter Live!’ with the theme of information texts.

OU RfP Newsletter Live! May 2026 – Reading for Pleasure