Primary school children across the UK have been sharing hilarious, heartwarming and brutally honest descriptions of their favourite books in response to TGJones’ nationwide Bitesize Bookworms competition, with a prize value of over £17,000 up for grabs.
The ongoing competition, in which children aged between ages five and 12 years old describe their favourite book in 25 words or less, has already led to some brilliant bitesize reviews, including:
“It’s just a caterpillar eating” – Charlie, age 5 reviewing The Very Hungry Caterpillar
“It’s about sweets and greedy spoilt children” – Philip, age 8 reviewing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
“A police dog man who chases a bad evil cat guy. He had to be made a dog and a man together.” – Charlie, age 9 reviewing Dog Man
“It’s about a wizard called Harry and he has a special line on his head” – Skylar, age 7 reviewing Harry Potter
“It tells me about history the way my teachers don’t” – Olivia, age 7 reviewing Horrible Histories
“Cheeky boy who’s naughty” – Oscar, age 7 reviewing Horrid Henry
“It’s funny and has poo in it” – Hayden, age 6 reviewing The Dinosaur that Pooped
The retailer recently launched the Bitesize Bookworms competition in support of National Year of Reading 2026, the biggest campaign in a generation designed to inspire everyone to discover a passion for reading and embed it into our everyday lives. A Department for Education initiative supported by the National Literacy Trust, the National Year of Reading is delivered with the support of major sponsors and partners, including TGJones.
The campaign encourages the nation to Go All In in 2026, reading into our passions and interests to get more out of the things we already love, whether it’s football, gaming, music, sci-fi, or baking. TGJones’ competition adds to the momentum, encouraging new readers to pick up a book and share their recommendations with others to spark a conversation about reading. It has already begun to demonstrate the positive influence reading has had on the younger generation:
“I like the book because it makes me feel amazing whenever I’m reading it.” – Olivia, age 6 reviewing Barbie
“It makes me feel joy when I’m reading it. I like to read it to my younger sibling to teach them more” – Louie, reviewing Diary of a Wimpy Kid
“She has superpowers and loves reading like me” – Ivy, age 6 reviewing Matilda
“It’s amazing. I love to read it especially to my grandma telling her lots of jokes to practise my reading” – Maddison, age 6 reviewing Horrid Henry
All entrants will be in with a chance of winning a huge prize for both themselves and their primary school, with three winners and nine runners up to be selected by an expert panel of literary judges, including primary school teacher turned rapper MC Grammar and broadcasters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, who host one of the UK’s most influential book recommendation clubs.
Speaking about the competition, Richard Madeley said: “As hosts of our very own book club, we love seeing the joy and delight reading can bring to people and understand the importance of expressing this joy to others. We always want to encourage people to celebrate their passions, and this new initiative by TGJones is a fantastic way to do so.
It has been brilliant seeing the entries so far, from the hilarious one liners to the heartwarming descriptions on how special their favourite book is to them. We cannot wait to read the rest, although it will be so hard to pick just three winners!”
Alex Willson, CEO of TGJones and Head Judge of Bitesize Bookworms, said: “Nothing is more creative than a child’s imagination and we want to celebrate that unfiltered, accidental comedy that comes from a child giving their honest opinion about their favourite book.
“Reading is so important for a child’s development, and as partners of the National Year of Reading 2026 we hope this campaign encourages more children to pick up their favourite book.”
David Hayman, Director of the National Year of Reading 2026 said: “Reading has the power to open doors, spark imagination and build confidence in every child. Through the National Year of Reading 2026, we’re encouraging families, schools and communities to rediscover the joy of books and inspire a lifelong love of reading. We’re incredibly grateful to TG Jones and all of our partners for their support and their shared commitment to making reading a relevant and rewarding part of everyday life.”
Competition entries will be split across three primary school age groups, with one winner and three runners-up from each group
Reception – Year Two (England & Wales) / Primary 1-3 (Scotland & Northern Ireland)
Year Three – Year Four (England & Wales) / Primary 4-5 (Scotland & Northern Ireland)
Year Five – Year Six (England & Wales) / Primary 6-7 (Scotland & Northern Ireland)
Each winner will receive a £200 TGJones Gift Card, plus £4,000 of books and stationery for their school, while runners-up will win a £50 TGJones Gift Card and £500 of equipment for their school.
School children who want to share why they love their favourite books can enter via the online entry page, which remains open until 23:59 on Friday 5th June 2026.
