Lewisham’s libraries are getting set to keep young people active and keep them reading throughout the summer holidays, with the Summer Reading Challenge.
The Summer Reading Challenge is simple – read six books during the summer, through your local library. At the start of the school summer holiday, children aged 4-12 are given a special pack and a set of incentives to collect as they read. A certificate and medal will be awarded for those that successfully complete the Challenge by the start of the new school year in September.
Every year there is a different theme. This year’s Summer Reading Challenge is called Team Read. There are a range of sporty activities and incentives to spur children on to finish the challenge. Details of Team Read is available at local libraries or by visiting: www.lewisham.gov.uk/summersalive
Library staff will act as team coaches, and an interactive Team Read website will be launched in June, linking children with top authors and illustrators. The sight also provides children with a space to chat about their favourite books and share reading ideas.
The Summer Reading Challenge is ten years old this year, and is now reaching over 650,000 children in the UK. It’s created and run by The Reading Agency, the independent charity working to bring more reading to more people, in partnership with the UK library network.
Cllr Chris Best, Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: “As well as being great fun, the Summer Reading Challenge encourages children to get into the habit of reading for pleasure which in turn improves children’s life chances. That’s why this scheme is so valuable and I hope all Lewisham’s youngsters will take the opportunity to benefit from it."