Reading 2 Smile started in June 2020 and for its first five years it was simply known the ‘Kids Reviews’ project. During the pandemic Sarah Tyson began sending free books to enthusiastic young readers in exchange for their honest reviews, which she published on a blog.
Her skill in matching the title with an appropriately aged reader, and nurturing their literacy development comes from her experience as a parent, bookseller, book festival director and literary consultant who’s spent over a decade working with authors in schools and libraries.
The books she selects for each reader on the panel are carefully chosen to broaden each reader’s experience. The process gradually develops their confidence to be articulate readers who enjoy discovering new genres and authors. They learn to reflect on what they’ve read and express their opinions about the books they have received.
In a voluntary capacity Sarah single-handedly project manages the operational arm of this reading for pleasure project, whilst also acting as editor and publisher of the reviews she receives from over 100 children and families from across the U.K. and occasionally from overseas.
As the archive of published reviews expanded from 500 to 1000 and beyond it became clear that the original platform hosted on BooksUpNorth was no longer fit for purpose, in that only the most recent reviews were visible.
Sarah enlisted the expertise of web designer and developer Michael Palmer, commissioning him to design and build a bespoke website so the ever-growing library of wonderful reviews was searchable.
It is a true labour of love, fuelled by her passion for books and reading.
Reading2Smile enables a young visitor to browse or search a unique resource of authentic book reviews written by children their own age. The filters assist them to find a suitable book to read, influenced by a review they can identify with. The concept is a simple – children inspiring their peers to read for pleasure by making genuine reading recommendations in their own youthful, independent voices.
We hope that our young visitors will discover new books and authors and be tempted to source a copy, based on a young reviewer’s feedback. Adults can also use the site to keep up-to-date about the latest publications and cross-check their own views about the suitability of a book against impartial comments they can trust.
Reading 2 Smile is a non-profit project that empowers and enables young readers and amplifies their voices.
The cost of posting the books to the reviewers is proving unsustainable. Your support to sponsor a reviewer would be gratefully received. Over 300 books were posted in 2025 with a running total over nearly 2000 since the project began during lockdown. At approximately £3.50 per book you can do the maths….
All support is gratefully received.
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Publishing partners send gratis review copies. Without their support Reading2Smile would not exist (click on a logo to visit their website).
*To find out who published a specific book, click on the ‘Buy Here’ option on each review.
The link will give you all the publisher information including ISBN number, date and RRP.
If you are a publisher who would like to submit a book to be reviewed by our amazing panel of enthusiastic readers, please send us a message about the title and publication date.
*We only work with published authors whose book is listed on Bookshop.org.uk