Our Reading Routes challenge is inspired by the underground and encourages children to go on a reading journey, exploring a wide range of book genres along the way. Each coloured line on our Reading Routes map represents a different genre, including Classics and Traditional Tales, Poetry and Rhyme, Non-Fiction, Mystery, Adventure and Fantasy, and Humour and Uplifting.

At school, we have carefully selected shelves filled with exciting books for children to choose from and enjoy. When a child completes a book, this should be recorded in their reading record for their class teacher to see. Their Reading Routes ticket will then be ‘punched’ with a hole to show that they have completed part of their reading journey, just like a real underground ticket!

Children are also encouraged to read books from home or from other libraries. If a chosen book matches one of our Reading Routes genres, it can be added to their challenge and will contribute towards their journey.

Children can choose their own reading route by exploring different genres, completing individual genre lines or working towards completing their whole ticket. We will celebrate the following achievements:

Reading one book from each genre – children will receive a certificate, celebrated in our Celebration Assembly.

Completing one full genre line – children will receive a certificate, celebrated in our Celebration Assembly.

Completing the full Reading Routes ticket by reading across all genres – children will receive a special Reading Routes badge, presented in our Celebration Assembly.

The reading journey does not stop there! When children achieve three Reading Routes badges, their photograph and a book recommendation will be added to our Reading Routes Hall of Fame display, celebrating their achievements and inspiring others with their favourite reads.

When children achieve five Reading Routes badges, they will be invited to our exclusive lunchtime event, ‘Biscuits and Books’. During this special session, children will enjoy a biscuit (or two!) with the Reading Lead while sharing their favourite books and discussing the stories they have loved.

We hope that Reading Routes will inspire children to discover new genres, explore new authors and develop a lifelong love of reading.