Every child in Year 6 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and P6 in Scotland, will receive a free copy of Katherine Rundell's bestselling book 'Impossible Creatures' this Christmas, as part of The Queen's Christmas Present initiative. The program coincides with the conclusion of the government's National Year of Reading and aims to boost reading enjoyment among children.
Queen Camilla Announces the Initiative
Queen Camilla announced the initiative on her birthday, Friday, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust (NLT). More than 800,000 copies of the special edition will be distributed through schools, libraries, hospitals, care settings, refuges, and food banks. The book, which won Waterstones Book of the Year in 2023, is a fantasy set in a magical archipelago filled with mythical creatures.
Addressing the Decline in Reading Enjoyment
According to the NLT, reading enjoyment among children drops most sharply between primary and secondary school. In a 2026 survey of 125,375 UK children, enjoyment of reading in free time fell by 30% between ages 8–11 (47.7%) and 11–14 (33.2%). The initiative seeks to counter this trend by placing a book in every child's hands at a critical age.
Special Edition Features
The special edition includes a stamp on the cover and a personal note from the queen inside. The message reads: 'Impossible Creatures, by one of my favourite writers, is a brilliant fantasy that will introduce you to a host of mythical friends and terrifying enemies … and I hope that you will love it as much as I do.'
Author's Perspective
Rundell described the timing as 'the best possible time' to give the book. 'This generation of brilliant kids face extraordinary challenges ahead. Books, if we ensure they have access to them, will be their strongest and sharpest tools with which to build a future,' she said.
