Across Worcestershire Libraries 2,296 young bookworms signed up for The Summer Reading Challenge, the UK’s biggest free reading for pleasure programme for children aged 4 to 11. 

For the 2022 Challenge, The Reading Agency partnered with the Science Museum Group to create a ‘Gadgeteers’ theme, inspiring children to use their curiosity and creativity to discover the science behind the everyday and celebrate the role of the imagination in both reading and the sciences.
In 2022 1,653 children finished the challenge, reading 6 books or more! 114 children signed up to become new members of their local libraries and children taking part in the challenge borrowed a total of 136,652 books and 3,162 eBooks/ audiobooks. Across the summer 2,528 young people attended Summer Reading Challenge events at their local library and a total of 92 young volunteers (all under 24) helped the children with the challenge.

More information on the 2023 Summer Reading Challenge will be available in the spring.

The Summer Reading Challenge is open to all primary school-aged children. By introducing the Summer Reading Challenge in your classroom, you can help us engage children in the Challenge ahead of the summer holidays. There are lots of ways to get involved!

The Summer Reading Challenge can: 

• help to prevent the summer reading ‘dip’ for pupils 
• ensure your pupils are ready for their return to school in the autumn 
• support the transition between year groups and key stages 
• improve language skills, especially for those for whom English is a second language