Local MP supports campaign for every child to join their local library
Local MP Mary Macleod 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 - the UK’s biggest reading promotion for primary school children.
Each year the Challenge uses a new theme to inject fun and creativity into reading. The 2013 theme is “Creepy House”, illustrated by award winning Chris Riddell, inviting children to explore a Creepy House and its host of characters. They can take part in spine tingling reading activities and collect pungent smelling stickers to complete a collectable Creepy House poster.
Children can also visit 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 also works on mobiles and tablets.
Research shows the Summer Reading Challenge increases children’s reading range and their enjoyment of reading significantly. It builds confidence and independent reading, while combating the dip in children’s literacy levels during the long break from school.
A unique partnership between The Reading Agency and public libraries across the UK, the Summer Reading Challenge already gets three quarters of a million children to read six library books in the summer holidays. With the support of local MPs, libraries, schools and Summer Reading Challenge Champions including Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman and football star Frank Lampard, even more children aged 4-11 will be encouraged to join the library and get involved.
Mary said:
“I would like to encourage parents and carers to take their children to their local library this summer to sign up for The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge. It’s free and makes reading fun - a vital ingredient in building both literacy and confidence. Last year over 2,000 children in the Hounslow Borough took part in the Challenge. I hope even more children and families will take up the challenge this year and show local libraries what a valuable asset they are to us and our community.”
Miranda McKearney OBE, Director of The Reading Agency, and Janene Cox, President of the Society of Chief Librarians, say:
“Education policy makers now understand the importance of children reading for pleasure. The SRC is the UK’s biggest children’s reading promotion. It involves 750,000 children each year and accounts for 20% of all children’s books borrowed.
The Summer Reading Challenge has a simple magic – it makes reading really, really fun, and is a crucial intervention from the people who know how to turn children on to reading – librarians. This year’s theme is Creepy House. Children go to their library, get a lovely poster, experience lots of creative library events, receive collectable incentives along the way, and a medal and certificate at the end. Simple but powerful.”
Follow the Summer Reading Challenge on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SummerReadingChallengeUK
For more information on the Summer Reading Challenge including how to get involved and resources for schools, go to www.readingagency.org.uk/summerreadingchallenge
*Summer Reading Challenge Champions Malorie Blackman, alongside her Children’s Laureate predecessors Julia Donaldson, Michael Rosen and Jacqueline Wilson, football star Frank Lampard and other children’s authors and illustrators including Charlie Higson, Liz Pichon, Chris Riddell, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Cressida Cowell and Justin Somper, line-up as Champions of the Summer Reading Challenge with libraries, in a major drive to inspire more children to read for pleasure.
The Reading Agency is an independent charity with a mission to give everyone an equal chance in life by helping people become confident and enthusiastic readers. It runs big programmes and partnerships across the whole library network. It is funded by the Arts Council. Visit www.readingagency.org.uk for more information.
The Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) is a local government association made up of the chief librarian of each library authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. SCL takes a leading role in the development of public libraries, through sharing best practices, advocating for continuous improvement on behalf of local people, and leading the debate on the future of the public library service. www.goscl.com
PHOTO: Mary Macleod MP - Summer Reading Challenge 2013