Latest news with #JeffKinney
Scotsman
04-07-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Scotland pupils show rising reading comprehension, new data reveals
The 2025 What Kids Are Reading report, published today by leading edtech provider Renaissance, includes data from over 40,000 pupils in Scotland and reveals how children's reading habits are evolving across the UK and Ireland. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Drawing on data from over 1.2 million pupils, the report shows that five years on from the disruption of lockdown, young readers are engaging with more challenging books—and understanding them better. Although the number of books read has declined slightly year-on-year, pupils still read on average 20.7 books a year—far more than the median UK adult, who reads just three. In schools using Accelerated Reader, a structured programme that supports reading practice and comprehension, quiz scores have improved since last year. Primary pupils are now achieving 80% accuracy on reading quizzes (up from 77% last year), while secondary pupils have reached 72% (up from 69%). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Pupils are also scoring highest on their favourite books, many of which are more challenging than their most-read titles. In Year 5, for example, favourite books had a reading level nearly two years above the average for that age group, with quiz accuracy reaching 94%. These patterns suggest that when pupils are given the freedom to choose books they love, they rise to the challenge—and understand them deeply. Your World Additional insights from the National Literacy Trust's Annual Literacy Survey, included in the report, show that while overall reading enjoyment has declined to 35%, its lowest level since 2005, Accelerated Reader users buck the trend. Among pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), 37% of those using Accelerated Reader say they enjoy reading, compared to 32% of their peers. A similar pattern appears among boys, with 31% of Accelerated Reader participants reporting enjoyment, versus 27% of non-participants—suggesting structured support may be helping to close the enjoyment gap. This What Kids Are Reading report also shows how children's reading habits are changing. Jeff Kinney remains the most-read author across UK schools, with Diary of a Wimpy Kid still topping the charts. But newer voices are gaining ground. Titles by Marcus Rashford, Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara and Matt Oldfieldare now among the most-read books in schools. Books such as The Breakfast Club Adventures, Little People, BIG DREAMS, and Black Men in Science mean more pupils are seeing their experiences reflected in the stories they read—supporting not only literacy development but also helping pupils see themselves in the stories they read—fostering confidence, connection, and a lifelong love of reading. Crispin Chatterton, Director of Education at Renaissance, said: 'This year's What Kids Are Reading report highlights the real progress schools are making in helping children read with greater understanding. It's especially encouraging to see disadvantaged pupils reporting higher enjoyment of reading in school—showing how targeted support can help more children build confidence and enjoyment in reading. At Renaissance, we're proud to work alongside schools to create inclusive, engaging reading experiences that help all pupils succeed.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Professor Keith Topping, author of the report, commented: 'This year's findings are encouraging. The narrowing of the enjoyment gap, particularly among disadvantaged pupils, suggests that structured reading time and access to tools like Accelerated Reader are making a real difference. When pupils enjoy reading, they read more—and when they read more, they achieve more.' Access the What Kids Are Reading 2025 report here:
Times
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Marcus Rashford a hit with young readers as JK Rowling loses ground
Jeff Kinney continues to top the charts as the most-read author among schoolchildren in the UK and his Diary of a Wimpy Kid series remains a firm favourite, according to research. However, fresh names are also joining the ranks of most-popular authors: Marcus Rashford's The Breakfast Club Adventures and Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, who wrote the Little People, Big Dreams series, are gaining ground, perhaps reflecting a growing demand for inclusive and relatable stories. Matt Oldfield, an author of non-fiction football books, was also a chart topper among secondary schoolboys. Once dominant during lockdown, the Harry Potter series no longer tops the charts. While still popular among primary school pupils and Year 8 readers, JK Rowling's books have been absent from the most-read lists for several years. This year, The Last Hope by Erin Hunter was the most popular book, alongside George Orwell's Animal Farm. By secondary school, boys' and girls' preferences start to differ. Boys favoured the satire of Animal Farm, while girls chose Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. The Hunger Games appealed widely but, beyond that, boys returned in force to Kinney. The reading habits are revealed in the 2025 What Kids Are Reading report, which draws on data from more than 1.2 million primary and secondary school pupils across the UK and Ireland over an academic year. The research, led by Professor Keith Topping at the University of Dundee and researchers from the National Literacy Trust, shows that today's children are reading more — and with better understanding — than the average British adult. Children using structured reading tools read an average of 20.7 books a year, far outpacing the adult average of three. • Our summer reading guide: 10 terrific books for children Although the total number of books read has dipped slightly, schools are allocating more time to reading in schools, and comprehension levels have improved since last year. Primary school pupils now average 80 per cent on comprehension quizzes — up from 77 per cent last year — and secondary pupils have risen from 69 per cent to 72 per cent, suggesting that secondary pupils were not reading books as carefully as primary pupils. Year 5 pupils are tackling books nearly two years above their age level and have an average comprehension score of 94 per cent. Roald Dahl's grip on the primary-school charts is steady but slipping from the top. He remains the second most-read author in UK primary schools — just behind Kinney — with Matilda, The BFG and Fantastic Mr. Fox continuing to appear across Years 2 to 6. Matilda continues to appear in top-read and favourite lists, especially in primary and international data. The report shows that several literary classics remain part of the school reading landscape. Enid Blyton's Summer Term at Malory Towers features among Year 4 children's favourite books, while Philip Pullman's The Secret Commonwealth appears in the Year 7 list. JRR Tolkien's The Two Towers and The Return of the King in the Lord of the Rings trilogy are also popular with Year 7 pupils. Louis Sachar's Holes remains a firm favourite, topping the Year 6 most-read list and appearing across several regional charts. Sachar also ranks sixth in this year's table of most-popular authors among secondary pupils. In contrast, CS Lewis no longer appears in either the most-read or favourite lists, suggesting a continued decline in popularity. Crispin Chatterton, director of education at Renaissance, which produced the report, said: 'This year's What Kids Are Reading report highlights the real progress schools are making in helping children read with greater understanding. It's especially encouraging to see disadvantaged pupils reporting higher enjoyment of reading in school, showing how targeted support can help more children build confidence and enjoyment in reading.'
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
City Libraries announce Fine-Free Week for young readers
City Libraries have encouraged those with outstanding books to please return them without paying a fine this June holiday season Image: Supplied Books by the beloved children's author Jeff Kinney, author of the Wimpy Kid series, are the books that public library patrons tend to forget to hand in on time. Now City Libraries have announced a fine free week for patrons up to the age of 17 during the week of Monday, 30 June – Saturday, 5 July 2025. The amnesty applies at every City of Cape Town public library. Patrons may return the items to any library, regardless of where they were borrowed. 'The Fine Free week during the school holiday is a wonderful opportunity for young readers to return books and to enjoy the many activities at libraries. It is also an opportunity for learners to join and become a member at their nearest library. "Our libraries are popular knowledge centres to visit with family and friends and we sincerely hope that late items will be returned so that other patrons and new members also have an opportunity to enjoy a returned item. Let us all support this initiative to return library material to the shelves where they belong,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Francine Higham. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Children are encouraged to return their outstanding books this holiday season to their nearest public library Image: City Libraries Items that are covered during the amnesty week include all overdue children's and young adult books, comics, audiobooks, magazines, DVDs and CDs. It should be noted that replacement fees for lost or damaged items will still apply with only late-return fines that are waived. The aim of the Fine Free week is to provide young readers with a clean borrowing slate for the new term. Below is a list of the top 10 books outstanding (children and young adult books): The deep end / by Jeff Kinney (29 copies outstanding); Wrecking ball / by Jeff Kinney (29 copies outstanding); The getaway / by Jeff Kinney (26 copies outstanding); Big shot / Jeff Kinney (23 copies outstanding); Double down / by Jeff Kinney (23 copies outstanding); The meltdown / by Jeff Kinney (23 copies outstanding); Peppa loves reading / adapted by Lauren Holowaty (20 copies); Hard luck / by Jeff Kinney (19 copies); Cinderella (17 copies outstanding); Boy-crazy Stacey: a graphic novel / by Gale Galligan (15 copies outstanding) To make the week more interesting, library personnel will pair the amnesty with indoor holiday activities, such as anime drawing workshops, coding boot camps, chess tournaments and mobile science centre visits. The previous Fine Free week which took place during the South African Library Week (17 to 23 March 2025), saw 13 178 library items returned. Residents are invited to join one of the 102 libraries across the metropole. To join a library, visit your nearest facility today. Once registered, you'll be able to check out your first batch of books on the same day. For more detail on how to become a member please visit:
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid' author talks upcoming projects
PLAINVILLE, Mass. (WPRI) — 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' author Jeff Kinney is booked and busy. In addition to writing best-selling novels, Kinney and his wife Julie are in the process of transforming downtown Plainville with the hopes of bringing their community together. 'I think it's really important to take care of your own backyard,' Kinney said during a live interview on 12 News at 4. The project, called 'Plainville Square,' will bring a beer garden, restaurant and village green to the downtown area. Rhode Island brewery The Guild is partnering with the Kinneys to create the food and beverage garden that is slated to open in the fall. 'Especially in Massachusetts, the towns were built up around factories and things like that, and then those jobs left, but the people are still there,' Kinney explained. 'They want that feeling of community, and we have to reimagine what our downtowns look like.' MORE: 'Wimpy Kid' author, RI brewery to open beer garden in Plainville Kinney also shared more about upcoming projects in the 'Wimpy Universe' including new movies that will be released on Disney+. You can watch the full interview in the video above. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Wimpy Kid' author, RI brewery to open beer garden in Plainville
PLAINVILLE, Mass. (WPRI) — The author of the popular 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' series is partnering with The Guild to bring a food and beverage garden to downtown Plainville. The beer garden is set to be a part of Jeff Kinney and his wife Julie's efforts to revitalize the downtown area. The Guild Garden at Plainville Square will mark the Pawtucket-based brewing company's first expansion outside of Rhode Island. The location will feature a rotating menu of beers, a selection of wine, non-alcoholic beverages and a full kitchen. There will also be covered seating to support live music, author events and more. MORE: RI brewery creating beer to honor Jimmy Carter's impact on the industry The 8,000 square-foot garden will be across the street from the Kinneys' An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Cafe at the intersection of Bacon and South streets. In addition to the beer garden, Plainville Square will eventually feature an anchor restaurant with retail market space and a village green. 'Our goal in redeveloping the center of Plainville is to create a buzzing town square that acts as a 'third place' – a spot where community can grow and new friendships can take root,' Kinney explained in a press release. 'The planned food and beverage garden is a key to a thriving center, and we've found the perfect partner to help us executive our vision in The Guild.' The Guild Garden at Plainville Square is set to open this fall. NEXT: RI barber offers sensory-friendly hours for kids on the spectrum Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
