Summer Reading Challenge 2023 launches

Keep children reading this summer by joining the Summer Reading Challenge at your local library. The theme of this year's reading challenge is 'Ready, Set, Read!'. Children taking part from July to September will be able to join a superstar team and their marvellous mascots as they navigate a fictional summer obstacle course, brought to life with illustrations by children's illustrator Loretta Schauer, and rewarded by free incentives including stickers.

The Summer Reading Challenge launches today, 24th June, in Scotland and on 8th July in England and Wales. Children can take part either at the library or online.

The Ready, Set, Read! Book Collection has been specially chosen by an expert group of readers for the Summer Reading Challenge. It is jam-packed with fun imaginative books to keep children active.

Joining the Summer Reading Challenge:   Children can take part in the Challenge through their local library or they can take part in the Challenge online. The Summer Reading Challenge is run by The Reading Agency through local libraries.

Library Challenge:  Children taking part through the library will receive a special collector folder, stickers, and other special incentives, and help to find books to read for their Challenge.  To join, you will need to visit your library and tell them your child would like to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge. The library will get your child signed up and will give them a special collector folder. Children can set their own personal reading goal for the summer - six books is normally recommended.

Children can borrow and read books, e-Books and audiobooks of their choice as part of their challenge. They can read anything they like: fiction, fact books, poetry, joke books, picture books and graphic novels all count towards completing the challenge!  The library will provide fun reading activities and special incentives along the way and children will receive a certificate for taking part, or for reaching their Challenge goal. In addition, many libraries offer a wide variety of events and activities for families to enjoy throughout the summer.

Online Challenge: Children can sign up to the Challenge online, setting a reading goal and logging their books on their profile. They will be able to access online rewards as they progress through their Challenge, and a printable PDF certificate when they complete their reading goal.  Children can join the online challenge here.

Why join the Summer Reading Challenge?

Taking part in a reading challenge is a great time to share and talk about books as a family and to celebrate your child's reading achievements.  Reading through the summer will help your child to maintain and develop their reading skills, which often dip through the summer months.

Reading for pleasure can be incredibly important in supporting your child's education for a host of reasons:

*  Currently, 1 in 5 children in England cannot read well by the age of 11. We know that reading for fun improves literacy.
*  Reading for pleasure is more important to children's academic success than their parents' level of education or socio-economic status.
*  Embedding a love of reading in children can help their wellbeing later in life. 19% of adult readers say that reading stops them feeling lonely.
*   Studies have found that those who read for pleasure have higher levels of empathy, greater self-esteem and are better able to cope with difficult situations.

Sitting down with your own book, newspaper or magazine sets a good example to children - they will copy you - and reading together can really encourage a love of stories.