Every child in Year 6 in P6 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Scotland will be given Katherine Rundell’s best-selling book Impossible Creatures this Christmas, to coincide with the end of the government’s National Year of Reading.
Queen Camilla announced the initiative, called The Queen’s Christmas Present, to mark her birthday on Friday.
Impossible Creatures, which is about a magical archipelago where mythical creatures live, was named a Waterstones Book of the Year in 2023.
According to the National Literacy Trust (NLT), which is working with the Queen on the initiative, children in Year 6 and P6 and similar ages will receive the book through schools and libraries, as well as hospitals, care settings, refugees and food banks. In total, it contains over 800,000 books.
According to research from NLT, children’s enjoyment of reading declines more rapidly between primary and secondary school age than at any other point in their education. In a 2026 survey of 125,375 children in the UK, children’s enjoyment of reading in their free time dropped by 30% between the ages of eight to 11 (47.7%) and 11 to 14 (33.2%).
The special edition will feature a stamp on the cover and a note from the Queen inside. The message reads, “Impossible Creatures, from one of my favorite authors, is a fantastic fantasy that will introduce you to many mythical friends and terrifying enemies… and I hope you’ll love it as much as I do.”
After newsletter promotion
The book “is being delivered at the best possible time”, Rundell said. “This generation of bright children faces extraordinary challenges ahead. Books, if we ensure they have access to them, will be the strongest and sharpest tools they have for building the future.”
