>August Events / >July Events / >September Events / Events in Norfolk and Suffolk / Tourist Attractions Norfolk and Suffolk June 22, 2016
The Summer Reading Challenge
is the UK’s biggest reading for pleasure programme in libraries for primary school aged children, with 800,000 children taking part last year.
2015 was the most successful ever in Suffolk with over 8,200 children signing up and as 2016 is officially Suffolk Libraries’ Year of Reading, it’s hoped that this summer will be another huge success.
The Summer Reading Challenge runs throughout the summer holidays from 16 July to 3 September, and as national Volunteer’s Week gets under way, Suffolk Libraries are already on the lookout for volunteers to help support this year’s challenge. Volunteer support is a key part of the summer reading challenge and each library in Suffolk will be looking for help in running activities with children and listening to them discuss the books they have read.
Anyone aged 13 and over can volunteer to help – it’s very rewarding, it’s great experience for anyone interested in working with children and is an ideal opportunity for students and young people. 9,366 volunteers helped out across the country in 2015 and many felt it benefited them – 82% felt their skills had increased and 78% said it made them feel part of their community. Anyone interested can contact their local library now or apply online via www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/src
The Summer Reading Challenge encourages children to read six or more library books of their choice during the summer holidays with collectable incentives and rewards, plus a certificate, or medal for every child who reads all six. Children can sign up at their local library at the start of the summer holidays – it’s absolutely free and many libraries will also be running related activities through the holidays.
Alison Wheeler, Chief Executive of Suffolk Libraries, said:
“Every year more and more Suffolk families enjoy and take part in the Summer Reading Challenge. We really enjoy offering thousands of children the chance to keep up their reading during the summer and this year there is the added draw of a brilliant Roald Dahl theme. What’s not to like?!”
This year Suffolk Libraries are also running a bumper fundraising prize draw alongside the summer reading challenge with some incredible prizes including some great family days out. The draw will be launched next month and tickets will be available from all libraries throughout the summer with the draw being carried out in late August.
The ‘Big Friendly Read’
will feature some of Roald Dahl’s best-loved characters and the amazing artwork of his illustrator, Sir Quentin Blake. It will encourage reading on a giant scale and will feature themes such as invention, mischief and friendship as explored in Roald Dahl’s books. The Big Friendly Read will encourage children to expand their own reading by exploring similar themes across the best contemporary children’s writing and this year’s suggested book list covers these themes.
The book list covers 72 different books children might like to read for the challenge and includes Roald Dahl’s much loved ‘The BFG’, with Disney’s ‘The BFG (Big Friendly Giant)’ directed by Spielberg and starring Mark Rylance, being released in cinemas on 22 July as the Summer Reading Challenge gets underway.
For more information go to www.readingagency.org.uk/summerreadingchallenge
As with previous years there is also a free interactive app provided by SOLUS UK Ltd which will allow children and families to activate extra The Big Friendly Read materials.
ImagiNation project
This summer, Suffolk Libraries will also be running the ImagiNation project which aims to provide young people with an opportunity to celebrate their love of reading over the summer by getting creative!
Anyone aged between 11 and 18 can take part, simply by visiting their local branch of Suffolk Libraries to collect an ImagiNation log book. The log book is crammed full of activities to help young people express ideas about what they have read, or to record how a book has made them feel.
Participants don’t have to be good at drawing, and they don’t have to write loads of words: instead they could paint a picture, take a photo, write a poem, use music… anything creative that sparks the imagination.
Young people will be encouraged to share their art and ideas with other young people on the ImagiNation blog and can become part of a countywide collaborative artwork.
For a list of upcoming events in libraries visit www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/upcoming-events
@suffolklibrary Facebook.com/suffolklibraries
2016 is our year of reading – for more information visit www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/reading
advert
We can promote your editorials every week on the Iceni Post!
