Get creative with the Summer Reading Challenge at Norfolk libraries

With the school holidays just around the corner, you may already be trying to think of ways to keep children occupied. Look no further than the Summer Reading Challenge, which launched in Norfolk libraries on Saturday 6 July.

All children aged four to 11 are invited to take part in this year's challenge, Marvellous Makers, which celebrates children's creativity and storytelling abilities.

Developed by The Reading Agency in partnership with Create, a leading arts charity, and public libraries, children are being encouraged to explore new books and stories while taking part in free activities - from arts and crafts to music, dance and more.

When children sign up, they receive a free pack that follows the Marvellous Makers characters as they try to find creative objects that have gone missing thanks to a cheeky squirrel. Each time children finish a book they can collect a special sticker from the library to add to the pack. On completion of the challenge, children will receive a certificate and a medal.

The library service recommends reading around six different books, but children can set their own reading goals. There is also a mini-challenge available so that pre-school children don't miss out.

You can take part at your local library, where children can borrow and read books, eBooks and audiobooks of their choosing. For inspiration about what to read, there's a Marvellous Makers booklist, which includes picture books, early readers and non-fiction books. But children can read anything as part of the challenge - from comics to recipe books - so they don't have to stick to the booklist.

Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships at Norfolk County Council, said: "Recent research by World Book Day has shown that one in five children feel judged for what they read, while a quarter are made to read things they don't want to.

"Initiatives like the Summer Reading Challenge help encourage children to grow up as enthusiastic readers so they don't miss out on the many personal and educational benefits that reading for pleasure brings.

"Taking part also significantly helps improve children's reading confidence, which is so important ahead of their return to school in the autumn."

To take part in the Summer Reading Challenge, just drop into your local library and ask to register your child. If you are not already a member of the library, joining is free and easy (you will need to bring proof of address, such as a utility bill). Children will receive their own library card and there are no overdue fees on children's library cards.

If you can't make it to a library, children can also take part via the official Summer Reading Challenge website, where they can sign up for a free challenge profile and get book recommendations.

In 2023, more than 11,000 children took part in the Summer Reading Challenge in Norfolk, helped by schools across the county getting behind the challenge.

Almost half the pupils at Rollesby Primary School signed up to the challenge last year. Head of School, Mrs Catherine Barnard, said: "The Summer Reading Challenge provides an excellent opportunity for children to explore and enjoy a wide variety of literature through the summer. Our children were excited to take part last year and were very keen to share their certificates with the whole school."

It's not just about reading books though - to make the Summer Reading Challenge even more fun, there are lots of free events and activities taking place at libraries across Norfolk.

You can find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge including all the activities on offer in Norfolk libraries on the Summer Reading challenge 2024 webpage.