News | 12 November 2026
How IES Schools Promote Reading as a Lifelong Adventure
From interactive book hunts to bilingual story hubs, IES students across Sweden celebrated Barnboksveckan by discovering a passion for literature.
Aanya from IES Kista: I feel very good when they read to me.
Creative reading initiatives and interactive library sessions across Internationella Engelska Skolan (IES) schools are inspiring students to embrace reading with confidence. IES educators are helping young readers explore new authors and genres in both Swedish and English.
Cultivating a vibrant reading culture is central to the IES model. We provide a high-quality bilingual education within safe, calm school environments where students are encouraged to reach their full potential.
"I just love to read and always carry a book with me," said Krisha Patel, pictured below, a year eight student from IES Staffanstorp - where initiatives included cozy Monday morning candlelit read-alouds, entrance recommendation displays, and "Star Jars" for F–1 pupils. Older students engaged with interactive "Bookflix" displays, book-swapping tables, and targeted reading strategy workshops.
Krisha added: "I was surprised by some of the titles on our Bookflix wall—I didn't realize we had them right here in our school library."
Meanwhile at IES Kista seven teachers from tears seven - nine and two parents from the PTA read stories to students from year F to year three, building on the example of principal Suzanne Gavin and the school’s year nine reading ambassadors, who read with students in years two - three throughout the year.
Over the past four weeks, around 180 IES Kista students took part in Ung Företagsamhet’s (UF) Novelltävling, reading and listening to short stories. This week, UF’s Sara Tahir visited to discuss the stories with students and read aloud to a year two class.
Aanya, a year two student from IES Kista, said:“I feel very good when they read to me because it makes me feel calm when I'm a little sad or angry. Sometimes a word could be hard, but by reading books, my friends can learn new words, and understand their meanings.”
The school’s principal, Suzanne Gavin, added: “When students see their principal, their teachers, parents and older students reading, it tells them that reading matters to everyone. That’s the culture we’re building at IES Kista, and it doesn’t stop when Barnboksveckan ends. Every child can learn to love reading and every child should have a book they love to read.”
Across Sweden, IES schools marked Sweden’s annual Barnboksveckan and Nationella Läsdagen (November 12th). Other initiatives included:
- IES Södra Änggården focused on Swedish author and illustrator Jan Lööf’s 60th anniversary, exploring his iconic stories and artwork.
- IES Hässelby Strand organized an outdoor book hunt across the schoolyard, combining physical movement with decoding hidden literacy clues.
- IES Sundbyberg hosted a dedicated library storytelling session for younger readers in the Junior Club, led by school librarian Ms. Yap.
Through classroom learning and initiatives like #readwithIES, IES schools actively bridge reading habits between the classroom and home. By combining bilingual immersion with high academic expectations and strong pastoral support, IES equips students with the communication skills, grit, and curiosity needed to succeed in higher education and prepares them for a bright future.