Here is some more guidance for entering the Schools International Reading Award (SIRA). If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, please email us!

What does ‘presentation’ mean and how can students submit theirs for the Award?

The presentation about students’ reading project could be digital (using video, a website or the school’s social media), a spoken presentation to peers or others in the school, or a physical display such as a classroom or library wall display, or an installation spread throughout the school. We are keen to reward projects that share an enthusiasm for reading and use the school resources or space creatively in promoting reading for pleasure.

Do the students have to read the books themselves? What about the under 6s category?

‘Reading’ in the sense of the Award includes a teacher or librarian reading aloud, or listening to audio books! Listening is reading too!

Must the presentation be made by the children or can staff help?

Certainly school staff can help, and the presentation could be produced entirely by staff sharing the thoughts as expressed verbally by students. In a kindergarten or early years setting, the presentation could include hand-drawn book covers which children colour in, accompanied by words or phrases students expressed.

Can students submit book reviews to enter the Award?

It depends on how they are presented for an audience. Handwritten or typed book reviews in isolation would not be eligible to win the SIRA Award. The emphasis is on sharing reading recommendations with peers, younger reading buddies, or the school community. Examples of book reviews that would be eligible include: a wall display that contained short book reviews, the use of social media to present book reviews to parents, a newsletter or magazine that included book reviews for a specific audience, or video presentations recommending books to younger peers.

What counts as an international book?

There are many ways to interpret the international dimension of the books selected; these are a few ways we interpret ‘world literature for young people‘ here at World Kid Lit, for example. It could be books translated from other languages: perhaps the languages spoken in the school, or book club? It could be a few books from or set in each continent; from countries studied in geography; from countries students where students have (pen) friends or relatives.

The Award is for the most internationally diverse reading projects, and the most imaginative or innovative presentations where participants share what they have read or are reading with others.

Does the reading project have to take place in September?

No, reading projects can take place at any time of the year, or be of any duration from one day to an entire year-long project. Many schools choose to run a project during September, World Kid Lit Month, during Languages Week, for European Day of Languages, or for World Book Day. Why not start your reading project now on the first day of the school year? Here’s a great place to start for reading ideas.

How do students enter the Award?

The entry should be submitted by a lead teacher or librarian on behalf of the students or pupils. The Award will be open to enter via an online form between 1 September and 10 October 2026.

Which countries are eligible for schools to enter?

In 2026, the Award is open to schools and early years settings anywhere in the world. The only restriction is that English should be one of the school’s main languages of instruction, but the presentations or project evidence submitted for the award do not need to be solely in English.

We are a school that covers multiple age categories. Which category should we enter? Can we enter more than one?

Yes, you can enter more than one category if the reading project includes pupils or students across the age categories (this is likely to change in future years when we have more entries). Please bear in mind that the age categories also correspond with the target age of the books in the prize book bundle. So if the reading project includes young people aged 11 to 16, but you would particularly like to win books in the middle grade category, you could enter the middle category. The three prize categories are:

• Younger category (0-6 years)
• Middle category (7-12 years)
• Older category (13+)

We are a library that serves many schools. Can we enter the SIRA award?

In 2026, the Award is only open to school projects, so you could encourage the schools you work with to enter, and support them. In future years we hope to partner with one or more library association and to offer a specific award to libraries too; watch this space!