New chapter for Summer Reading Challenge

Parents, grandparents and carers in Sheffield are being urged to take their children to the library in the holidays to sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge.
Summer Reading ChallengeSummer Reading Challenge
Summer Reading Challenge

Last year, 4,108 children in Sheffield took part in the free, inclusive national event, designed to make reading fun.

And this year, Gill Furniss, MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, and chair of libraries APPG, is supporting the campaign – run by charity The Reading Agency – to encourage all primary school children to get involved.

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Ms Furniss said: “I really hope we can increase the number of children taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge this year, and remind local libraries what a valuable asset they are to us and to our community.

“I am delighted to support this campaign to get more children reading locally.”

Research shows that reading for pleasure is a powerful factor in life achievement and that children who use libraries are twice as likely to be above average readers. The Summer Reading Challenge builds confidence and independent reading, while helping to prevent the dip in children’s reading levels during the long summer break from school.

The Summer Reading Challenge, a unique partnership between The Reading Agency and public libraries across the UK, last year got over three quarters of a million children borrowing, reading and talking about their favourite books. This year’s Summer Reading Challenge – which launched on July 14 – has the theme of ‘Mischief Makers’ – celebrating the 80th anniversary of the much-loved comic, Beano.

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To take part in the Mischief Makers Summer Reading Challenge, all children need to do is to head to their local library where they will be given a colourful collector’s map of Beanotown to keep a record of their reading journey.

As children read at least six library books over the summer, they will collect stickers which will help them crack the clues and help Dennis, Gnasher and friends find the buried treasure. Children can use the special website mischief-makers.org.uk to create a profile, chat about books, and get help on what to read next, via the digital Book Sorter which already offers over 600,000 peer-to-peer children’s book recommendations in child-friendly categories.

The Summer Reading Challenge reaches children and young people of all ages. For pre-schoolers there is a mini-challenge.

Visit readingagency.org.uk/summerreadingchallenge for details on how to get your young people involved.