Local MP Simon Hart is supporting a campaign run by charity The Reading Agency to encourage all primary school children to join their local library and take part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.
Research shows that reading during the summer holidays builds confidence and independent reading and prevents the dip in children’s literacy levels during the long break from school.
Mr Hart said: “I hope parents, grandparents and carers will take their children to the library to sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge. They will get a free poster to start them off and then each time they read two books they will get a set of stickers to fill in their poster
“Last year 864 children in Pembrokeshire took part in the Challenge. I hope we can increase that number this year and show local libraries what a valuable asset they are to us and our community.”
A unique partnership between The Reading Agency and public libraries across the UK, the Summer Reading Challenge got a record 810,000 children reading in the summer holidays in 2013.
Children will also be encouraged to share their love of reading by recommending a book to friends, family and carers with a campaign called ‘pass-it-on’ this year.
Each year the Challenge uses a new theme to inject fun and creativity into reading. The 2014 theme is “Mythical Maze”, illustrated by award winning Sarah McIntrye. Children sign up at the library and receive a mythical maze poster.
Children can go on the website summerreadingchallenge.org.uk to create a profile, chat about books, and get help on what to read next, via the digital Book Sorter which already offers over 300,000 peer to peer children’s book recommendations in child-friendly categories.
Sue Wilkinson, CEO of The Reading Agency said: “Education policy makers understand the importance of children reading for pleasure. The Summer Reading Challenge which is developed and delivered in partnership with librarians across the UK is designed to keep children reading in the long summer break. It is the UK’s biggest children’s reading for pleasure promotion. Last year over 810,000 children took part with almost 67,000 because new library members to do so. What we hope is that everyone who takes part this summer really will find out that everything changes when we read.”
Follow the Summer Reading Challenge on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SummerReadingChallengeUK