A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
Online Reading Classes for Kids in the UK, 1:1
Your child reads a real book, then talks it through with a college mentor, after school or at weekends, on UK time.
Character interview
A thoughtful idea
What is Bookstaken?
One child. One mentor. One book at a time.
Loved by Parents, Enjoyed by Kids 💛
across the world
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
Is a reading tutor right for your child?
Sound like your child? Here's what changes.
“Can read, but avoids books”
A book picked for what they already love.
“Reads the words but misses the meaning”
They talk it through, so the meaning sticks.
“Starts books and doesn't finish them”
A book picked for them, at a pace they can keep up with.
“Loves reading and wants someone to talk books with”
A mentor to talk every chapter through with.
Look elsewhere if your child is still learning letter sounds (phonics), needs specialist dyslexia support or needs exam or grammar prep.
Reading at school in the UK
At school
In 2025, only 32.7% of 8- to 18-year-olds said they enjoyed reading, the lowest in 20 years of the survey.
With Bookstaken
Schools teach the skills. Bookstaken works on the enjoyment: a book your child chose, read in full and talked through 1:1.
Source: National Literacy Trust, Children and Young People's Reading, 2025.
British favourites to read together
By writers from the UK.
Kensuke's Kingdom
Michael Morpurgo
Ages 10+
Michael is washed overboard and wakes on an island where someone is already living.
Matilda
Roald Dahl
Ages 8–12
A girl who reads everything takes on her awful parents and the terrifying Miss Trunchbull.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
C. S. Lewis
Ages 8–12
Four children step through a wardrobe into Narnia, a land stuck in the White Witch's winter.
Ages from BookTrust, Puffin, Bookreporter.
Where to find English books in the UK
Your child reads their own copy of every book.
Waterstones
High streets across the UK
Foyles
London and other cities
Your local library
Every town
The Summer Reading Challenge, every summer
School breaks in the UK
Schools can differ, so check your child's calendar.
Christmas holidays
About two weeks over Christmas
Summer holidays
Late July to early September
Scotland's summer holidays start in late June.
An hour with a mentor, for less than a local tutor
What a local tutor usually charges for a primary-age child, next to our price.
Less than a local tutor
What an hour costs in the UK
Bookstaken
£15
from £13 on longer plans
A local tutor
£20–35
Local tutor rates from Care.com, TheTutor.link, MyPrivateTutor, FamilyTutor, KIS Academics and Tutorlyft, October 2026.
Prices in other countries
UAE
Local tutorAED 75–200 an hourBookstakenAED 73 a sessionAustralia
Local tutorA$40–120 an hourBookstakenA$30 a sessionCanada
Local tutorCA$30–75 an hourBookstakenCA$28 a sessionUS
Local tutor$23–30 an hourBookstaken$20 a sessionSingapore
Local tutorSGD 25–50 an hourBookstakenSGD 25 a session
Local tutor rates from Care.com, TheTutor.link, MyPrivateTutor, FamilyTutor, KIS Academics and Tutorlyft, October 2026.
What happens in every session
60 minutes, 1:1, on Google Meet.
- Stop 1Ice-breakingA riddle or a quick chat to settle in.
- Stop 2Book discussionIllustrated slides on what they read, talked through together.
- Stop 3ReviewTheir verdict on the book so far.
- Stop 4WritingTheir own story, chapter by chapter.
- Stop 5ClosureA recap to end on, and your report on WhatsApp.
See a sample book conversation
Here is a made-up scene to show the kinds of questions a mentor can ask. In a session, the conversation follows your child's book and their answers.
Leela found a red umbrella on the bus. It had stopped raining, and her stop was next. She stayed in her seat, watching the door for someone to come back.
Retell: What did Leela find, and what did she do next?
Look for clues: Why might Leela have waited? Which detail in the scene makes you think that?
Give an opinion: Would you have made the same choice? Tell me why.
Imagine: What if nobody came back? How would you continue the story?
The aim is to hear their thinking and help them explain it. These are example prompts, not a test or a fixed script.
Kids say "Fine." Our reports say the rest.
After every session you get a report: what they read, what they talked about, and how they're growing.
9:41
Aarav's session report
Week 8 · The Jungle Book
Speaking time
AaravRiya
52%
48%
A note from Riya
Aarav came in bursting with questions about Mowgli leaving the jungle. He argued Bagheera was the real hero, and backed it up with two moments from the book. He's reading with his head and his heart now.
Session snapshot
91%Engagement+4%
86%Vocabulary+3%
90%Understanding+5%
84%Fluency+3%
Session timeline
AaravRiya
0 min60 min
0–15 min
Jungle riddles
15–45 min
Who's the real hero?
45–60 min
A new last page
Illustrative report: the names, book and figures are examples. Your child's report reflects their own session.
A note from their mentor
A few warm lines on their best moments.
Their story journal
Every chapter they write, collected in one place.
Sit in on the first session
See how it works before you decide anything.
What it costs
Free
Your first session.
No card needed.
Then, the more you book, the less each costs
- 4sessions— each
- 12sessions— each
- 24sessions— each
Book as many a week as you like, and pause anytime.
Your local prices are loading. Each step shows the average per session when you buy that pack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What times are available in the UK?
Whatever suits your family. Tell us when your child is free, after school, in the evening or at the weekend, and we match a mentor who is free then too. Every time shows in your own time zone.
Q: What language are the sessions in?
English, from start to finish: the book, the talk and your child's own story.
Q: How does this fit with reading at school in the UK?
In 2025, only 32.7% of 8- to 18-year-olds said they enjoyed reading, the lowest in 20 years of the survey. Schools teach the skills. Bookstaken works on the enjoyment: a book your child chose, read in full and talked through 1:1.
Q: Which children's books from the UK are good to read together?
Try Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo, Matilda by Roald Dahl and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. Each Bookstaken book is picked for your child's interests and reading level, and your child reads their own copy.
Q: What do we pay in?
Pounds: families in the UK see and pay every price in pounds.
See all 7 questions
Q: When are the school breaks in the UK?
Christmas holidays: about two weeks over Christmas. Summer holidays: late July to early September. Scotland's summer holidays start in late June. Schools differ, so check your child's calendar. Our free reading plans for the breaks are on the site.
Q: Is the first session free?
Yes. It's 60 minutes, 1:1, on Google Meet, and no payment details are needed to book it.
Wherever you are, the first session's free.
60 minutes, 1:1, with a mentor matched to your child.
