Volunteer Reading Help

If you love books the buzz probably started in childhood. The charity Volunteer Reading Help (VRH) trains volunteers to support children who see no magic in books, giving book-shy children a weekly hour of one-to-one book time. Children who struggled to read develop a love of books and the reading skills to face the future with confidence.

Open University

If you're interested in writing a book of your own, or taking your passion for literature further, why not try the Big Read on Open2.net? Reading on Open2.net brings you ideas and inspiration for reading and writing - including a lively Book Club.

Right to Read

The RNIB is working with the BBC to ensure all of the Top 21 books are available as RNIB Talking Books.

The Right To Read campaign from the RNIB aims to highlight the fact that 95 per cent of books, magazines and other publications are never produced in a format that is accessible to someone who is blind or partially sighted - for example, in braille, large print or audio.

National Library for the Blind

The National Library for the Blind (NLB) has all of the Top 21 books available in Braille, which can be borrowed free of charge.

NLB is a registered charity that holds Europe's largest collection of tactile books and provides a free postal library service to blind and partially sighted people worldwide. NLB is committed to improving access to books and campaigns actively for the right to read.

Online Reading Groups

Penguin has its own online readers group, which is a support network for groups. It offers discounted books for groups, a directory of readers' groups, a noticeboard, interviews with selected authors, suggested monthly themes to discuss as well as advance copies of forthcoming Penguin books and advice on how to start a reading group.

Random House has an active website and a database of around 750 groups. They send a regular newsletter to their members. The website features monthly guides to different books and they often have 'hotspots' allowing you to put your questions directly to the author.

Scholastic runs a book club for schools helping teachers deliver free books to children.