Northumberland breaks record for Reading Challenge
Northumberland’s youngsters are obviously a literate lot. A record breaking number of children from around the county signed up to and completed this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. In total, a fantastic 3657 children in Northumberland signed up to the challenge – an increase of 650 on last year – and the highest numbers since the challenge started in 1999.This week a group of young readers were all smiles as they were presented with certificates and medals as their reward for a summer full of reading.
Every year Northumberland County Council’s libraries take part in the national Summer Reading Challenge which is co-ordinated by the Reading Agency. The Challenge, now in its 15th year, is designed to help children develop a love of reading, boost their confidence and teach them new skills. The youngsters aged from four to 11 are encouraged to read six or more books over the summer. They receive incentives along the way and then a medal and certificate when they complete the challenge.
Councillor Val Tyler, policy board member for community infrastructure and culture said: “It is absolutely fantastic that we have had a record number of children join the challenge this year and I’d like to congratulate every single child who took part. It’s really important that youngsters are encouraged to read. The Reading Challenge is a great way of doing this so more families visit their local libraries, enjoy reading together and discover all the fantastic free resources that are available.”
