Championing reading and creativity through the Oxford Big Read 2025
This year, Oxford Big Read brought together students from 15 countries in a truly global celebration of reading, creativity, and collaboration.
The is an international competition that听encourages students to read OUP books and complete a creative project based on their reading. With three competition levels aligned to school classes, Oxford Big Read continues to foster literacy development at every stage.
This year, participation听soared across participating countries,听which included Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, and India鈥攚hich saw a 363% year-on-year increase in submissions.
After months of reading, creativity, and exceptional student participation across continents, we are delighted to announce the Oxford Big Read Global 2025 winners. Their entries听demonstrated听outstanding imagination, storytelling skills, and deep engagement with their reading.
Level 1 – ages 5-8
Participants read an OUP book and then designed a new cover.
Winner: Mu Zha
From Mainland China
贰苍迟谤测:听A New Home听by Jan Burchett and Sarah Vogler听
鈥淚 am听a big fan听of this book. The pictures are funny. And I love the different shoe homes best. If I had a shoe as my home, I would wish it to be a roller skate. It would have enough room for my family and friends, and it could move fast just like a roller skate.鈥�
Runner-up: Raniah Raiziel Battad Bumutay
From Thailand
贰苍迟谤测:听Let’s Make Pizza by Rachel Wilson
Level 2 – ages 9-12
Participants either: read an OUP book and wrote a response describing what they found interesting about the book; OR designed a poster听representing听their understanding of the book.
Winner: Pham Chau Anh
From Vietnam
Entry: Hachiko听by Nicole Irving
鈥淭he story of Hachiko, an Akita dog, is one of the most touching stories in Japan.听This picture is听very important听because it makes us feel both sadness and admiration. When we see Hachiko sitting alone, we feel the pain of waiting, but also the beauty of never giving up.鈥�听
Runner-up: Yufei Shen
From Mainland China
Entry: Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh
鈥淭he slogan I give the poster, 鈥淕oing, Going,听Gone鈥�,听is the cruel sound of a society making a deal, much like the voice-over in the movie听The Truman Show. Though my poster has a vintage-chic style, if you look closely, you will find the cold interior.鈥�听
Level 3 – ages 13-15
Participants either: read an OUP book and wrote critical review describing the theme, plot, and characters; OR听compared and contrasted two books.
Winner: 尝补蹋颈听Anh听碍丑么濒听
From Vietnam
Entry: Madame Marie Tells the Future by Lynne Marie Robertson
鈥淭he book teaches me that everyone has a dream and a special talent. I have learned that if we believe in ourselves, we can feel stronger and try harder. The message of the story is that kind and positive words can give us courage, and this makes me think about my own future too.鈥�
Runner-up: Leyang Li
From Mainland China
Entry: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
鈥淎usten鈥檚 message is clear: true love and happiness come from understanding, respect, and the willingness to confront one鈥檚 own flaws. She rejects the idea that marriage should be based solely on social status or financial gain, instead arguing that emotional connections and shared values are far more important.鈥�
For each level, students were rewarded for their contributions with prizes鈥�from听certificates and digital subscriptions to national prizes sponsored by Faber Castell, Amazon, and The Hindu Young World.听The prestigious global awards included听iPads and even an internship opportunity with our English Language Teaching听Graded Reader team.听
With global winners representing Mainland China, Vietnam, and Thailand, Oxford Big Read continues to connect students across continents through the joy of reading. Congratulations to all our winners and runners-up for their exceptional achievements.听
Find out more about the Oxford Big Read听.
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