The Summer Reading Challenge starts this weekend, giving children the chance to collect rewards for reading throughout the school holidays.
This year’s challenge, which runs from Saturday 11 July until Saturday 5 September, has the theme Read To The Beat is the theme this year, and invites children to embark on a free, imaginative reading adventure uniting the magic of stories with the power of music!
Once they’ve signed up at any Bedford Borough Library, including the mobile library, children will receive a bookmark to stamp for each book read, plus special collector’s cards and a free magazine. There are three rewards to collect: six books earn a Read to the Beat certificate; 12 books equal a bookmark; and for 18 books they’ll receive the Read To The Beat medal!
This year, children who want to continue reading after they’ve collected all the rewards will be entered into a draw at each library where they’ll be in with a chance of winning a voucher from Close Encounters comic book shop in Bedford too.
Any library books count towards the challenge, so children can enjoy fiction, joke books, or books about space, Star Wars, or Harry Kane! Books on CD or audiobooks and e-books from the free BorrowBox app count too, so children who prefer books in a different format can take part too.
There will be free craft activities, Lego clubs, craft clubs, and Story Times will also run through the holidays, plus workshops with Explore Learning, musical taster sessions, the return of the planetarium, and a performance of Alice in Wonderland. Library events and activities can be found at www.bedford.gov.uk/libraries/your-local-library-opening-times-facilities-and-activities.
All children are welcome to join the Summer Reading Challenge, even if they are not yet library members. It’s free to join the library and enjoy the huge range of books on offer, plus children can request books from other libraries for free.
Learn more about the Summer Reading Challenge at Bedford Borough Libraries Summer Reading Challenge | Bedford Borough Council
The Summer Reading Challenge is delivered by libraries and produced by The Reading Agency.