Summer Reading Challenge
Children's reading can 'dip' during the long summer holidays. The annual Summer Reading Challenge helps gets three quarters of a million children into libraries to keep up their reading skills and confidence. Because everything changes when we read.
The Summer Reading Challenge encourages children aged 4 to 11 to read six books during the long summer holiday.
There is a different theme each year. Children can read whatever they like - fact books, joke books, picture books, audio books - just as long as they are borrowed from the library.
Every time your child finishes a book they get stickers and rewards and there's a certificate for everyone that finishes.
The Summer Reading Challenge is open to all children and is designed for all reading abilities. Schools work with local libraries and give out information to encourage children to take part.
The theme for the 2013 Summer Reading Challenge is Creepy House.
Get involved
- If you're a parent or carer do join us on our Facebook page for all the latest news
- Children can chat, get reading recommendations and enter competitions on our Summer Reading Challenge website
- If you're a teacher take a look at our resources to help you support children's reading for pleasure
- Head to your local library at the beginning of the summer holidays and enroll. It's completely free and anybody can take part.
'The Summer Reading Challenge is a wonderful initiative - what could be better than getting our children into libraries? I can't recommend it highly enough. My son has always been a listener but now he's also a reader.'
'I find the Summer Reading Challenge really fun - my brother and I see it as a challenge and we work against each other to see who could read the six books the fastest.'
Summer Reading Challenge facts
- Research shows that taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge can help children keep up their reading skills during the long summer holiday
- Last year 780,000 children took part in the Summer Reading Challenge. Read more of the Summer Reading Challenge Story Lab 2012 results.


