A Year of Reading
The National Year of Reading
The National Year of Reading 2026 is an exciting initiative designed to inspire adults and children to make reading part of everyday life. It’s not about adding something else to an already busy day—it's about discovering fun, creative ways to enjoy stories together.
At Crowcroft Park Primary School, we know that children who read for pleasure become adults who read for pleasure. And the benefits of reading are enormous for all of us:
World Book Day at Crowcroft Park
We had such a lovely World Book Day. Our theme this year was The Gruffalo, and the children were so excited to step into the deep dark wood. Everyone came dressed as their favourite characters and the atmosphere around school was full of smiles, fun and imagination.
Throughout the day the children enjoyed stories, crafts and activities inspired by the book. It was wonderful to see how confident they were when talking about the characters and sharing their love of reading with each other.
Our photo slideshow captures some of these special moments. We hope you enjoy looking through the pictures as much as we enjoyed celebrating the day together.
World Book Day
Why Reading Matters
· Improved literacy skills
· Better educational outcomes
· Greater empathy and understanding of others
· Boosted mental health and wellbeing
· Stronger concentration and focus
· Bigger imaginations and increased creativity
These are more than enough reasons to nurture a lifelong love of reading.
Sadly, research shows that only 1 in 3 children now regularly read for pleasure. We don’t want this to be the story for our pupils.
Join Us – Let’s Get Reading!
At Crowcroft Park, we’re inviting all families to ‘Go All In’ and help our children—and you—rediscover the joy of reading. Whether it’s sharing a bedtime story, exploring comics, listening to audiobooks, or visiting the local library, every small moment counts.
Let’s make 2026 the year we fall in love with reading again.
Local Libraries
We are so lucky at Crowcroft Park to have so many brilliant Libraries close to us
Joining a library in Manchester
Visit in person
Take your child to any Manchester library (like Central, Longsight, or Arcadia).
- What you need: As the parent or guardian, you will need to sign their application form.
- ID: You usually need one proof of your own name and address (like a utility bill or driving licence).
- The Reward: They will be given their own membership card immediately, which they can use to start borrowing books right away.
Why join?
- Borrowing: Children can borrow up to 15 books at a time.
- No Fines: Manchester City Council does not charge overdue fines on children's books, so there’s no stress if you're a few days late returning them.
- Computers: Membership gives them free access to library computers and filtered Wi-Fi.
- eBooks: They can also use their card to download free kids' ebooks and audiobooks via apps like Libby or BorrowBox.
GO ALL IN and join the library

