Thousands of Stoke-on-Trent residents vote on their favourite children's books to shape Stoke 100 Reads list
By Liana Snape 3rd Mar 2026
Stoke-on-Trent's favourite children's books have been revealed after more than 3,300 submissions from people across the city.
The city's library service has launched two Stoke 100 Reads book lists, created in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, based on recommendations gathered during last year's Centenary celebrations.
A spokesperson for Stoke-on-Trent City Council said: "By putting local recommendations at the heart of Stoke 100 Reads, the libraries aim to help more children discover books they genuinely enjoy."
A total of 3,317 votes were cast by children, families, teachers, librarians and speech and language professionals as part of the project, made possible through funding from Arts Council England.
These votes have been used to create a primary list, for children aged zero to five and six to 11, and a secondary list for children aged 11 to 16.
The lists, which contain diverse books and cover a wide range of genres, were launched today (Tuesday 3 March) at the City Central Library in Hanley.
Lois Bateman, Manager for the National Literacy Trust in Stoke-on-Trent, said: "Reading for pleasure is one of the most important indicators of a child's future success, however we know that it is currently at crisis point in the UK.
"By creating a beautifully designed book list which has been made by Stokies, for Stokies, we hope to encourage more children to pick up a book and immerse themselves in a world of stories."
This comes as this year has been designated the National Year of Reading, to encourage people of all ages to fall back in love with reading.
Councillor Sarah Hill, cabinet member for finance, anti-poverty and corporate services, said: "The Stoke 100 Reads list contain a wide variety of stories for children to fall in love with and enjoy.
"What makes them extra special is that they have been selected by local people, meaning they are personal to what Stoke-on-Trent enjoy reading.
"I can't wait to see children across the city engage with the lists, discover new stories and lose themselves in the joy of reading."
To see the full lists, visit the Stoke-on-Trent City Council website here.
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