On May 28th, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation hosted the closing ceremony of the 2025-2026 edition of "Kids Vote," an initiative promoted by the School Libraries Network that, for the tenth consecutive year, challenged children and young people from all over the country to choose their favorite books.
Throughout the school year, students from grades 1 to 12 participated in an electoral process inspired by the rules of a real election: they chose candidate books, organized campaigns, defended their preferences, went to the polls, and contributed to the selection of the titles most appreciated by readers in the different categories.
The initiative is open to public and private schools, in Portugal and abroad, that teach the same grade levels and have Portuguese as their first language, reinforcing the role of reading in the education of children and young people who are critical, informed, and participatory readers.
From the very beginning, the project has had partners who have been fundamental to its establishment and growth: the National Elections Commission, Pordata, and Rádio Miúdos. Over these ten years, these partnerships have contributed to strengthening the civic, informative, and communicational dimensions of the project, bringing students closer to democratic procedures, the critical reading of data, and the public expression of their choices.
The closing celebration brought together students, teachers, teacher-librarians, schools, and partners at the Gulbenkian Foundation for a day marked by joy, creativity, and enthusiasm for books. The morning began with the reception of the schools and continued with various activities designed especially for the young participants, including theater, illustration, and radio workshops, as well as a treasure hunt in the garden.
Before entering Auditorium 2, the traditional street parade took place, one of the most vibrant moments of the initiative. With posters, slogans, rhythm, and great conviction, each group once again defended their book, showing that reading is also about arguing, listening, participating, and celebrating together.
During the afternoon, the final show gave the stage to some of the 995 participating schools, with presentations inspired by books that marked this edition. Featuring dramatizations, testimonials, musical moments and student interventions, the festival made visible the work developed in schools and school libraries over several months.
In moments of great suspense, the envelopes were opened, revealing the books most voted for by the students. In the 1st cycle (primary school), the winner was *Don't Open This Book* by Andy Lee, followed by *Rabbit vs. Monkey* by Jamie Smart, and *Trincas, the Book Monster* by Emma Yarlett. In the 2nd cycle (middle school), the winning book was *Gangster Granny* by David Walliams, ahead of *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone* by J.K. Rowling, and *Diary of a Wimpy Kid* by Jeff Kinney. In the 3rd cycle (middle school), *The Handmaiden* by Freida McFadden stood out, with *Gangster Granny* in second place and *The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas* by John Boyne in third. In secondary school, *The Handmaiden* won again, followed by *67 Voices for Portugal*, by various authors, and *The Metamorphosis* by Franz Kafka.
This year's edition also had a special meaning: it marked the 10th anniversary of the Kids Vote project. To celebrate this decade of reading and citizenship, Isabel Mendinhos and Cláudia Lobo, mentors of the project, were interviewed by Laura Claro, a young person who is part of the Rádio Miúdos project, in a moment dedicated to the memory and journey of an initiative that has mobilized thousands of students around books, democratic participation and freedom of choice.
According to Cláudia Lobo, the "Kids Vote" project was born from the idea of holding an election where children and young people could freely choose the books they like, without the influence of adults, programs, or external prescriptions. She also emphasized that the project has grown consistently and that the campaigns in schools have become increasingly diverse, creative, and participatory over the years.
Isabel Mendinhos, in turn, highlighted the dimension of citizenship associated with reading, recalling that "when we read, we are free" and that "books are always a symbol of freedom." This connection between reading, choice, and freedom has been at the heart of the initiative, which challenges students to read, form opinions, defend arguments, and participate in a collective decision-making process.
Throughout the session, awards for Best Campaign were also presented, recognizing the most creative actions carried out by schools outside the school environment and valuing the students' ability to mobilize the community around books.
This celebration represents the culmination of a collective journey in which books are promoted, readers gain a voice, and the school library establishes itself as a space for reading, citizenship, participation, and discovery.
Publicado em Jun 2, 2026
