Ransom Publishing

13/11/2025

The team are back from - and officially sending out all the exciting things they promised the teachers who popped by our stand.

That includes documents aligning our fully decodable books to the teaching sequence of various SSP programmes, curated lists (e.g. hi-lo books on World War history), free literacy workbooks, advice on reading interventions for SEN students aged 18+, etc.

(If you didn’t attend but any of this sounds of interest, email [email protected]. We’re happy to share the joy!)

06/11/2025

Only a few days to go until 🥳
🥳

Swing by our stand (G37) for:
📚 Free bookmarks and posters
📚 Special discount codes for your school
📚 Expert advice on all things ‘literacy’ (e.g. DfE-validated phonics teaching, catch-up phonics at KS2/KS3, what to do ‘after phonics’, motivating older struggling and reluctant readers, etc.)

24/10/2025

It's !

An important event to celebrate Irish authors, illustrators, publishers, Irish interest books - and of course all the brilliant Irish bookshops that sell them.

It’s also a grand excuse to shine the light on one of our Irish illustrators - Andy Hamilton.

We (and teachers/parents/students) love his illustrations because they’re so full of attitude i.e. perfect for our fully decodable books (also full of attitude!).

Indeed, you can find Andy’s work throughout Reading Stars Phonics - our collection of 250 books to support phonics teaching with 4-7 year-olds.

And also in Reading Stars Achieve Phonics - our separate collection of 98 books for 7-14 year-olds who’re still securing their phonics knowledge. They’re all age-appropriate, specially written to support weaker readers, feature dyslexia-friendly design, etc.

Bookselling Ireland

10/10/2025

We’ve just received an email from an overjoyed parent of a reluctant reader.

Attached was this picture: said reluctant reader in the middle of his birthday BBQ… reading the Ransom book he's just received!

It really does go to show the power of having the 'right' book.

That is, a book that’s on a topic you’re interested in. (He’s a footy fan, so has one of our fictionalised biographies of top players/managers.) And a book that’s also specially written/designed to ensure a reluctant reader cannot help but pick it up - and then cannot put it down.

We’re cheering this young man on - and wishing him a very happy birthday!

02/10/2025

A quick reminder on that poetry is SUCH a useful tool when it comes to literacy.

It boosts:

1. Phonemic awareness (rhyme, rhythm and sound patterns help students to hear the individual sounds in words)

2. Fluency (the repetition of lines you often find in poetry is great for building automaticity)

3. Vocabulary (poems use words that students might not meet in other books/everyday life)

4. Creativity and imagination (it can help students look at things differently, to read and use language differently)

5. And, if used correctly, poetry boosts engagement! Short poems on the right topics (e.g. football) can be a great way to reach reluctant readers who aren’t up for reading a full book.

On that note, we’ll leave you with a fantastic poem.

It comes from 'Football Crazy: Poems, Raps and Beats' by Tony Norman - a short anthology of highly decodable poems for struggling/reluctant readers.

It’s the first thing we recommend when we hear a footy-mad student doesn’t think poetry is for them...

26/09/2025

Guess what… We’re a 2025 finalist!

Ransom Publishing (with our brand-new Reading Stars Achieve Phonics series in tow) has been shortlisted for SEN and Inclusive Resource/Equipment Supplier of the Year.

Huge thanks to GESS Dubai, Global Educational Supplies & Solutions and the judges. What an honour!

23/09/2025

Did you know it's - 's annual campaign to urge you to rescue items from the bin and them instead.

Here's a sneak peek inside some Ransom titles that are sure to inspire you...

1/5👇

17/09/2025

Same goes for our Reading Stars ACHIEVE Phonics Sample Packs!

These help KS2/3 departments explore this separate collection of fully decodable books for older learners. Again, to claim yours (one per UK school, entirely free/yours to keep), email [email protected]📚

FYI - we've just re-stocked the shelves with our Reading Stars Phonics Sample Packs!

They're an ever-popular way for UK schools to explore these fully decodable books for KS1.

To claim yours (one per school, completely free/yours to keep), email [email protected] 📚

15/09/2025

Excited to announce we'll be exhibiting at
🥳

Swing by our stand (G37) for:
📚 Free bookmarks and posters
📚 Special discount codes for your school
📚 Expert advice on all things ‘literacy’ (e.g. DfE-validated phonics teaching, catch-up phonics at KS2/KS3, what to do ‘after phonics’, motivating older struggling and reluctant readers, etc.)

12/09/2025

NEW TITLE ALERT!

Rodri has officially joined our squad of dyslexia-friendly fictionalised biographies

Available to order now on our website👇

https://www.ransom.co.uk/rodri-paperback.html

27/08/2025

FYI - we've just re-stocked the shelves with our Reading Stars Phonics Sample Packs!

They're an ever-popular way for UK schools to explore these fully decodable books for KS1.

To claim yours (one per school, completely free/yours to keep), email [email protected] 📚

19/08/2025

Thrilled to have received some glowing feedback from the teachers who attended our literacy training in Pakistan last month. Creative Director Steve was 'on tour', visiting Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi...

"What stood out was how the trainer blended deep knowledge with real classroom anecdotes, humour, and clarity. It wasn’t just theory, it was meaningful, grounded, and immediately applicable.
A great reminder that when professional development is engaging and rooted in experience, it leaves a lasting impact."

(The sessions gave lots of practical tips and tricks - including an effective breakout session!)

"The sessions offered rich insights into high-impact phonics strategies aimed at enhancing literacy instruction in the early years. It was a day of professional enrichment, collaborative learning, and renewed commitment to academic excellence."

What a success. Well done Steve!🥳