Weekly Round-up 19th March 2026
- Carolyn McCarthy
- Mar 19
- 3 min read
Your weekly digest about what's happening in the world of children's literature
Hi everyone,
Welcome to this week's round-up. This week’s book picks are A Stage Full of Shakespeare Stories (7–9) and Tyrannosaurus Veg (0–5), a carrot‑crunching dino tale that’s perfect for younger listeners. Our Pageticker spotlight comes from our in‑house literacy specialist, Carrie McCarthy, who has created a downloadable Spring Reading List to help families go book‑hunting together, plus I’m sharing the Pageticker “most read by girls” list if you’re hunting for read‑alouds or library requests. You’ll also find a free National Year of Reading toolkit that gives teachers 10 quick wins for their classroom
Nicola, Founder
If you’d like to see Pageticker in action, you can also book a short demo. In 20–30 minutes, we’ll walk you through how teachers track reading at home and in class, how families use the free app, and what the data looks like for reading leads and SLT. It’s also a chance for you to ask questions.
Pageticker Free Resources
We’ve put together some free resources to help you make the most of the National Year of Reading this term.
Handpicked Seasonal Suggestion
As next week is Shakespeare Week, we thought we’d share a beautiful anthology about Shakespeare’s plays. It’s suitable for children aged 7 and above. A Stage full of Stories is written by Angela McAllister and illustrated by Alice Lindstrom.
In this beautiful anthology of some of Shakespeare's most popular stories, Angela McAllister retells classic plays like The Tempest, Romeo and Julia, Othello and many more. Not only is it a stunningly illustrated book but the stories are very child friendly and accessible.
Notable New Release
This week’s notable new release is Tyrannosaurus Veg: The Tale of the Carrot-Crunching Dinosaur. This is suitable for younger readers in Nursery and Reception. It’s a great read for anyone who either wants a laugh or is afraid of being a little bit different.
Reg is a Tyrannosaurus Rex who is a little bit different. Whilst others crave steak, he loves nothing better than a crunchy carrot cake.
As he feels out of place, he goes in search of a new life, but things don’t go to plan. When his friends are in trouble, Reg’s diet makes him the unlikely hero!
Pageticker Insights: Most read by girls
Here are some of the Pageticker “most read by girls” books of the year so far - a joyful mix of funny diaries, magical adventures, and comforting classics. From the relatable Lottie Brooks and laugh‑out‑loud Dork Diaries to timeless favourites like The Worst Witch and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, these stories champion friendship, growing up, and finding your place. Perfect inspiration for read‑alouds, recommendations, or library lists.
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson
The Wild Way Home by Sophie Kirtley
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks by Katie Kirby
The Ancient Egypt Sleepover by Stephen Davies
Dork Diaries by Rachel Renée Russell
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Worst Witch - 8 Book Collection by Jill Murphy
Planet Omar: Unexpected Super Spy by Zanib Mian
George and the Mini Dragon by George Webster
March Giveaway - open!
One winner (randomly selected) will receive all of the above books.
This giveaway closes on the 27th March 2026 (12:00 p.m. GMT). Full T&Cs here.
Upcoming Dates
20th March - Red Nose Day
23-27 March - Shakespeare Week
April -National Pet Month (United Kingdom)
April National Poetry Month
22nd April - Earth Day
23 April- World Book Night
29 April - Effective leadership of reading for pleasure in the real world, National Literacy Trust webinar
Take a look at the events for the National Year of Reading
Pageticker Spotlight
Our in-house literacy specialist, Carrie McCarthy, has created a Spring Reading List to inspire families to go book-hunting together. Packed with titles for Reception to Year 6, it’s a perfect starting point for conversations about “what to read next.” How you can use the list:
Share it with families via your newsletter
Share on your school website
Add to a class or library display
Plan future book purchases
Pageticker is the UK's top-rated digital reading diary designed to help children develop habits that will fuel their curiosity and learning for life. Find out more.
Happy reading,
The Pageticker Team
