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Summer Reading Challenge

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Summer Reading Challenge

The theme for this year's Summer Reading Challenge is Story Garden – Adventures in Nature and the Great Outdoors, will inspire children to tap into a world of imagination through reading, exploring the magical connection between storytelling and nature.
 
The annual Summer Reading Challenge is delivered in partnership with public libraries across the UK, and it’s free for children to take part. Throughout the summer, children joining ‘Story Garden’ can discover new books, participate in free activities at their local library and explore the link between reading and the great outdoors, where nature and imagination come together. 
 
This year’s Summer Reading Challenge features artwork from award-winning illustrator Dapo Adeola.

How the challenge works 

Children can join at any of our 9 libraries from Saturday 5 July until Saturday 6 September.

You can also sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge online and then visit the library to collect your joining pack. Make sure to tell the librarian that you signed up on the library website. 

Borrow books, graphic novels, eBooks or audiobooks and get reading! Children will get stickers as they progress with their reading.

Children who complete the challenge will receive a medal, a certificate and be entered into a draw to win one of many fantastic prizes.

Children under 4 can also take part and get their own booklet and stickers. 

Children can also take part online. Visit the summer reading challenge website for more information.

Prizes

You could win:

  • Lego botanical set
  • Pizza Topping Growing Kit
  • Outdoor nature scavenger hunt card game
  • Bluey memory game
  • Gruffalo memory game

Winners will be randomly selected Monday 8 September.

Can you finish the challenge in 6 weeks?

If you can, you could win a pair of tickets for Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile, performed at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.

Valid from 15 August to 7 September. Subject to availability and excludes Saturday performances offered by Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile The Musical. 

Winner will be randomly selected Monday 16 August. Check your inbox!

Events and activities

There are lots of events and activities taking place at our libraries. Check the What’s On page and subscribe to our newsletter to be always updated.

What to read

You can choose any books you like to count towards your Summer Reading Challenge. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, picture books, talking books and graphic novels - the choice is yours! 

Grow your love for reading with the Story Garden collection, browse our catalogue and enjoy more content on Libby, BorrowBox and ComicsPlus.

Benefits

Some of the benefits of taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge include:

  • Encouraging children to read throughout the summer holidays.
  • Developing a lifelong love of reading for pleasure.
  • Encouraging children to read a variety of genres.
  • Encouraging the whole family to use resources in the library.
  • Helping make sure that literacy levels do not drop over the summer.
  • Most importantly - it's fun!

Find out more on the Summer Reading Challenge website.