Chloe Smith MP supports campaign for every child to join their local library and do the Summer Reading Challenge

MP for Norwich North, Chloe Smith, is supporting a campaign run by 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.

Children’s Offer in Norfolk

The county’s 47 libraries and 13 mobiles lend nearly 1.8 million children's books every year. This about 30% of all book borrowing in the county, which is the busiest of all the shire counties.

Through partnership with the Registration Service every child born in the county is offered a library card at birth. Take-up is high and there has been a steady increase in library membership for under-5s.

Children can progress from board or bath books as babies to picture books and story-sacks, then first reads, and later from full-length children's stories to teen series. They can also borrow story tapes, large print, CDs , DVDs and games.

The Challenge which begins on 14 July is for every child aged 4-11 years to read six books of their choice from their local library during the summer holidays. Children earn stickers along the way and will be given a certificate or “Olympic style” medal when they complete the Challenge. This is the 14^th year of the Challenge and this year the theme is “Story Lab” which is set in a city hosting the Olympic Games www.story-lab.org.uk. 

Over 20 popular children’s authors are supporting the campaign including children’s laureate Julia Donaldson and fellow award-winning writers  Malorie Blackman, Charlie Higson,  Anthony Horowitz, Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen and Jacqueline Wilson.

Chloe Smith said; “I hope parents and carers in Norwich will take their children to their local library this summer and if they aren’t already members sign up and do the Summer Reading Challenge.  It’s free and makes reading fun, a vital ingredient in building literacy. Last year 12,051 children in Norfolk took part in the Challenge. I hope we will beat that figure this year and show local libraries how much we value them.”

This year libraries will be linking the Challenge to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as it is an official project in the London 2012 Festival - the finale of the Cultural Olympiad www.london2012.com/festival. Details of local events are available from local libraries.

Miranda McKearney, Chief Executive of The Reading Agency said;“ With so much pressure on libraries, this year of all years is the time to support the work libraries do to inspire children to enjoy reading. Research shows that children who use libraries are twice as likely to be above average readers and that children who take part in the Challenge go back to school with improved reading skills and a boost to their confidence.“

Justin Tomlinson MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Libraries said; “An international reading and literacy study found that only 40% of English children were keen readers as opposed to 64% of Italians.[1] It’s really important that we tackle this as reading for pleasure is a more important determinant of children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status.[2]”

Tony Durcan of the Society of Chief Librarians said; “The Summer Reading Challenge showcases how libraries are modernising the way they support children’s reading. It combines a fun, incentivised challenge with book talking support from library staff and teenage volunteers, lots of live events, and a fantastic website – www.story-lab.org.uk. “

Annie Mauger, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals said: “The Summer Reading Challenge is an incredible initiative and great way of encouraging children and young people to keep reading and using their library over the summer. Knowledgeable, passionate and skilled library staff in schools and public libraries are so important to engage children with exciting books and brilliant writing.”

This year the Challenge is also a Children’s University validated learning activity.   Children enrolled in a Children’s University can get their passports stamped at their local library and earn up to ten hours of “Children’s University learning” if they complete the Challenge. They will be able to earn a further four hours if they complete additional activities organised by local libraries. The hours will count towards Children’s University certificates.