This Christmas, the Queen is set to gift every Year 6 pupil in England and Wales, every P6 child in Scotland, and home-schooled children of the same age a copy of Katherine Rundell’s bestselling fantasy novel, *Impossible Creatures*. The initiative aims to encourage reading as part of the UK’s National Year of Reading, with around 800,000 copies to be distributed through schools, libraries, hospitals, care settings, refuges, and food banks.

While the gesture has been welcomed by some, including those citing the National Literacy Trust’s (NLT) estimate that one in ten children do not own a book of their own, it has also faced considerable criticism from children’s authors and reading advocates. Opponents have expressed concern that focusing on a single title and author promotes commercial interests rather than fostering a genuine love of reading. Michael Rosen, a former children’s laureate, questioned the lack of choice involved, arguing that reading for pleasure is inherently about variety. Patrice Lawrence, the current Waterstones Children’s Laureate, suggested that a more diverse offering—such as a comic book featuring multiple contributors and formats including quizzes and participatory elements—would better engage children from different backgrounds and with varying interests.

The controversy extends to the funding of the initiative. While the Queen is contributing through a personal donation, the total costs of production, delivery, and distribution are covered by undisclosed private donors. Buckingham Palace declined to specify the amount of the Queen’s donation, and sources close to Rundell and Walt Disney Studios — which holds the film adaptation rights—confirmed that Disney is not involved financially. The National Literacy Trust, which is coordinating the project, has emphasized that no public funding supports the production or distribution of the books.

Nevertheless, a freedom of information request uncovered that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has allocated £300,000 in taxpayer money to support outreach activities linked to the scheme. These activities include the creation and delivery of supplementary resources and events designed to engage children’s imaginations and promote a shared reading experience nationwide.

The NLT has maintained transparency regarding funding, stating that the books themselves are provided by Bloomsbury on a not-for-profit basis and that Rundell has waived her royalties. Yet, some educators and literary figures, such as writer and academic Darren Chetty, have called on the organisers to fully disclose the identities of the anonymous donors behind the project.

As the distribution moves forward, the scheme’s reception highlights ongoing debates about how best to encourage literacy and reading enjoyment among young people, with particular emphasis on balancing singular initiatives with broader, more inclusive approaches.