You're invited to join our free Summer Reading Challenge, Story Garden which launches on 1 July.
Can you borrow and read 6 library books before 13 September? If you complete the challenge, you’ll be awarded a special winner’s medal and be entered into a prize draw to win fabulous prizes.
How does it work?
- Visit your local library and ask to join the Summer Reading Challenge
- You will be given your special collector card, so you can log your summer reading
- Borrow and read library books (they can be stories or fact books, poetry or graphic novels – any library book counts!)
- Let library staff know when you have borrowed and read 6 library books and you will be awarded a winner’s medal in the library
- If you’re in a Manchester primary school, you will be awarded a special certificate in September/October in school, applies to children aged 5 to 11 who go to a Manchester local authority primary school.
Libraries have lots of free activities for you to enjoy during the summer holidays too. Many will be linked to the Story Garden theme and will be announced in July.
Check out what’s on offer on Loads to Do website
Mini Challenge 0-3 year olds
Children aged 0-3 can also get involved too with their very own Mini Challenge. Ask at your local library or next time you’re at storytime.
What can I read?
You can read any library book you choose. You can also read digital eBooks and eAudiobooks using our free BorrowBox app. If you read books on Borrowbox, please ask the library for your collector card. Also, let us know when you finish the challenge.
You can join online too
If you can’t make it into a library, you can join online instead on the Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge website. Remember to enter 'Manchester' when asked for more information. We'll invite you to Central Library to pick up your winner's medal and certificate after the summer holidays.
Prizes
When you complete the Summer Reading Challenge, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 toyshop voucher and a bundle of books! We’ll also have goody bag winners from each library and will also be giving away prizes every week throughout summer!
Book review competition
Why not tell us about a book that you’ve really enjoyed? You can either write or draw about the book. Winners will each scoop a prize of a book bundle, kindle tablet or art supplies!
Why is reading for pleasure important?
The "summer slide" happens when kids forget some skills and knowledge from school. This is because they don't practice during the summer. This can make it harder for them to catch up when school starts again. Reading in summer keeps brains active and boosts reading skills, which helps prevent this.
Right now, 1 out of every 5 children in England can't read well by the time they are 11 years old. But reading for fun can help children get better at reading and is so important for doing well at school.
Reading for pleasure boosts empathy and kindness. It helps people feel better about themselves and raises self-esteem. Plus, it makes coping with tough situations easier.
Story Garden is produced by the Reading Agency and delivered in partnership with public libraries.