Scottish Book Trust to take part in Bookshop.org’s 2025 Read It Forward initiative

Bookshop.org is bringing back its charitable Read It Forward initiative, in an expanded partnership with BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust, with 10% of every children’s book sale in February 2025 donated to the charities.

The aim of the initiative is to “inspire a love of reading in the next generation”, and the money raised by the drive will go towards BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust’s work in supporting children from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds.

Scottish Book Trust will be taking part for the first time in 2025, after the Read It Forward initiative raised money to support more than 1,000 families last year, bringing books to children who need them.

“Funds raised will help us support young families facing challenging circumstances through our specialist early years outreach programme,” said Marc Lambert, c.e.o. of Scottish Book Trust. “Bookbug for the Home helps families to share stories, songs and rhymes with their babies and children, which is a vital first step in building a love of reading, as well as developing early communication and language skills.”

The 2024 initiative also drove increased sales of children’s and YA titles from Bookshop.org, which registered a double-digit year-on-year increase on sales in the first part of the year. 

Shelley Firth, bookseller at Darling Reads in Horbury, added: “We really enjoyed taking part in Read It Forward last year and look forward to sharing some more wonderful recommendations for children and young adults as part of Read It Forward 2025.”

Bookshop.org is encouraging publishers to select their top children’s and YA titles published in February 2025. “We encourage publishers to mark their calendars and get ready to become involved with their top children’s authors and books of 2025,” said Nicole Vanderbilt, managing director of Bookshop.org UK.