Summer reading challenge for children

Mother and child reading together

Tue 18 Apr 2017

The Summer Reading Challenge will be back this summer with a new theme called Animal Agents, illustrated by Tony Ross!

3,909 children took part in last year's challenge, called Big Friendly Read

What is the Summer Reading Challenge?  

  • The Summer Reading Challenge takes place during the school holidays every summer at a library near you.   

  • The challenge, aimed at four to 12 year olds, is to read six books of their own choice during the summer holidays. 

  • It's free to take part.

How does the Challenge help my child? 

  • Research shows that reading for pleasure is one of the most important contributory factors in children’s learning success. 
  • The Challenge encourages children to read during the long summer break when their reading skills can decline without the regular reading activity at school. 
  • Taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge helps to sustain children’s enthusiasm for reading and prevent the 'summer holiday dip' 
  • The combination of creativity, fun activities and reading choice can have a real impact on children’s reading ability, range and motivation, boosting their confidence and leading to a more positive attitude towards learning. 
  • Children who enjoy reading are more likely to score highly on reading assessments than those who don't; and those who use libraries are twice as likely to be above average readers.

For more details visit the Summer Reading Challenge page.