Family days out, new books and surprise gifts are just some of the prizes available in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.
The free challenge, taking place until Saturday, 10 September, encourages families and children to visit Medway’s libraries and read six books to be in with the chance of winning amazing prizes.
The Children’s Summer Reading Challenge for four to 12-year-olds, is to read six library books in the summer holidays and receive prizes including stickers, bookmarks, games and magnets for every book they read.
The sixth prize for the last book is a certificate, ribbon lanyard and a medal.
The theme for this year’s challenge is Gadgeteers, allowing children to learn even more about science, innovation and the world around them whilst engaging their imaginations. There are many events running throughout the summer at Medway Libraries to celebrate the gadgeteers theme. To find out more, visit your local library.
We are also encouraging teenagers and adults to read this summer. The Teen Reading Challenge encourages 13 to 16-year-olds to read six books during the summer holidays to be in with a chance of winning more books or surprise gifts. There is also The Rewarding Reading Challenge, open to residents aged 17 and above and those who read six books will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a family ticket to Upnor Castle, Rochester Castle or Eastgate House.
All categories of books are included in the challenge including fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels and comics, joke books, poetry, manga and Medway’s Libraries are home to thousands of children’s books, ebooks, and audiobooks that are free to borrow and online.
Reading helps fuel children's imaginations
Cllr Howard Doe, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Services, said: “I am so pleased that the Summer Reading Challenge is taking place once again this year for residents and with some fantastic prizes. I’d encourage people of all ages to visit their local library and community hub and enjoy everything they have to offer. You can even enjoy Medway’s libraries from the comfort of your home through ebooks, audiobooks and much more.
“Reading is an essential life skill and helps fuel children and young people’s imaginations, I would encourage our younger residents to take part for the chance to win some great prizes and, more importantly, foster a love of reading. This challenge supports our aspiration to become a child-friendly city, by providing children and young people with more opportunities and putting them at the heart of everything we do.”
Inspire the creativity of children
Karen Napier MBE, The Reading Agency CEO, said: "We are really delighted to be partnering with Science Museum Group for this year's Summer Reading Challenge. We know through our broader work with children, like our Reading Sparks reading and STEM programme, that reading and science go hand-in-hand. We are sure that the 'Gadgeteers' will inspire the creativity of children up and down the country to use their innovation and imagination.
"In our 20th birthday year as a charity, we are delighted to be working once again with public libraries across the four nations. We are hugely grateful for their longstanding support of the Summer Reading Challenge and look forward to continuing to work closely in partnership with them, as well as schools, community groups and parents and carers to inspire the next generation of readers and innovators."
We are supporting the national programme to keep children reading in the summer holidays, build their confidence and a love of reading.