We've been keeping a careful eye on rapid developments with libraries, our main partners. The Arts Council takes over responsibility for libraries in England this month and has issued a new document Culture, knowledge and understanding: great museums and libraries for everyone. Three London library services are merging to save costs and there are judicial reviews of proposed closures in Brent, Gloucestershire and Somerset. We're doing a lot of work to highlight the success of the Summer Reading Challenge, because children's librarians are very much at risk. It's vital that those making decisions about library cuts and changes understand just how powerful and successful libraries' work with young readers is.

Join us and top children's authors

EVENT THIS TUESDAY: Join us at an exclusive evening with top children's authors Sophie McKenzie, Jenny Downham, Ally Kennen and Gregg Olsen this Tuesday, 4 October, at The Free Word Centre from 6 to 8pm. Email us to add your name to the list. We are running this event with Simon & Schuster, Random House, Scholastic, Sterling and Islington Libraries. Read more and download an invitation from Reading Groups for Everyone.

The Summer Reading Challenge round-up

CELEBRATIONS: As the Circus Stars Summer Reading Challenge draws to an end, library services are holding celebration events to reward children who have taken part. Around 450,000 children will receive medals and certificates and special celebrations have been held for children in care (for example in Leicestershire), young carers (such as in Essex) and other cases where libraries have worked hard to include children who aren't reached through mainstream routes. Libraries have also recognised the fantastic work of young volunteers.

Results are still coming in, as library staff count up the participant numbers, but early indications are that at least the same number of children have taken part as last year, with some authorities reporting increases of 20 to 25%.

YOUNG PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING: We asked Summer Reading Challenge volunteers to send us their ideas for activities to support children's reading. We received some great suggestions, and awarded prizes to Zoe Hale, Katie Hamnett, Beth Johnson, Rob Thewlis and Hannah Wheldon-Holmes. You can see their winning entries on the Summer Reading Challenge website.

We would like to thank all of the volunteers who have brought some great insights and ideas to the Challenge this year, such as this one from one of our winners, Rob Thwelis, 20 (pictured). “I noticed that some of the children didn't want to speak about the favourite books they had read – some of them were shy – so I organised a competition where they could write a review or draw a picture and post it in a box at the library. At the end of the summer we chose three winners and made a book out of all the entries, which will go on display in the library.”

Summer Reading Challenge volunteering is generously supported by the John Laing Charitable Trust.

IN SCOTLAND: Children's authors Lari Don, Chae Strathie, and Theresa Breslin visited six different locations around Scotland celebrating this year's Circus Stars. Circus performers 'Gus and Oli' joined the authors and venues were transformed into Big Tops for the day as the 'Juggling Words' roadshows came to town. We were able to offer these roadshows for free thanks to generous support from Tesco Bank. They were a great success. One thousand people packed the venues to capacity. A massive 38,000 children took part in the Summer Reading Challenge in Scotland.

Six Book Challenge

DISCOUNT: We've now launched materials for the Six Book Challenge 2012 which are on offer from our shop with an Early Bird offer until 12 October. We're delighted by the growing interest from colleges with endorsements such as this from Len Closs, Principal of Northampton College: “We have been involved with running the Six Book Challenge for the last four years, over which time numbers of students entering and completing the challenge has risen from 28 to 134. The result for the College has been a measurable impact in students' confidence, written work and results. Students report that they found the Challenge hard work but enjoyable and staff have remarked upon its value in improving the literacy skills and general motivation of the participants. The interest locally has positively benefited Northampton College's reputation in its community.”

NEW FUNDING FOR WORK IN PRISONS: We are thrilled to be awarded new funding from The City Bridge Trust to support extending the Six Book Challenge to improve mental health outcomes in London prisons over the next three years. We'll be working with the Prison Libraries Group to take this forward. Meanwhile the Clarissa Luard Award, donated by author Julian Barnes, is enabling us to deepen use of the Challenge with young offenders and staff in ten institutions across the UK. It all helps to meet our aim of getting the Six Book Challenge into all prisons so that offenders can continue to take part even if they get moved on.

TRAINING: There are places available for a training day on Friday 14 October in London, which will cover new models for running the Challenge in different settings. Everyone attending can claim a FREE resources pack worth £75.

Digital games to help literacy

DEVELOPING NEW GAMES: We're very excited to be exploring two possible approaches to developing a digital game linked to the Six Book Challenge and have just published Game On: Ways of using digital games to engage learners in reading for pleasure. Funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, this researches links between digital games and adult learning, identifies games that have a significant text element and describes how we developed and trialled two games - a 'choose your own adventure' narrative texting game for use on mobile phones and a social game designed to engage Six Book Challenge participants in online discussion and challenges. Please contact genevieve.clarke@readingagency.org.uk if you'd like to know more.

The Galaxy National Book Awards 2011 takes place on 9 November, with the shortlist for each of the 12 categories announced on 20 October. Libraries can order promotional materials for the shortlist (deadline 7 October) and the winners (deadline 21 October) from our shop. After the winners are announced, there will be a six-part TV series called Booked – Winners of the Galaxy National Book Awards on More4 from 12 November until 17 December.

Reading groups' favourite - The Help

FILM RELEASE: The film adaptation of Kathyrn Stockett's The Help is opening on 26 October. The book was phenomenally popular with reading groups in the USA and the UK, as it was with our reading groups when we ran a big book promotion last summer with Penguin. We received 250 great book reviews for competition we ran with Penguin. You can read more on Reading Groups for Everyone.

Win a sleepover in the British Museum

If you are a member of a Chatterbooks group you can win tickets to a British Museum sleepover by entering the Mega Mash-up design a poster competition being run with Nosy Cow Books to celebrate the publication of the fourth book in the Mega Mash-Up series, Pirates vs Ancient Egyptians in a Haunted Museum. Read more on Reading Groups for Everyone. You have until October 17. Good luck and don't forget to put your Chattergoups reading groups on the website if you haven't already done so!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang activity packs

To help celebrate the release of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce we have some fun-filled activity packs up for grabs. The packs are suitable for eight to 11 year olds and there are 20 packs in a bundle. Read more and enter on Reading Groups for Everyone.

Children's library/publisher partnership

NEW ROADSHOW: Our next roadshow that brings librarians and publishers together to share information and ideas will be at Bristol Schools Library Service on Tuesday 29 November. Our children's library and publisher roadshows are extremely popular – leading to useful connections and creative ways of collaborating to inspire more children to read more. Librarians and publishers who would like to come should contact Jenny Warner to find out more and book your place. We are very grateful to Bertram Library Services and Cyprus Well, the literature development agency for South West England, who are supporting this event.

Celebrating with Roald Dahl

Do you have what it takes to have fun in your library and get as many chiddlers as you can to read Roald Dahl? If the answer is yes, enter our Roald Dahl competition launched to celebrate Children's Book Week (3-9 October). We've teamed up with Puffin to give away five Roald Dahl beanbag chairs to libraries. Read more and enter on Reading Groups for Everyone. The deadline is 30 December. Enjoy Children's Book Week and we will announce the winners next month.

Chatterbooks Reads!

NEW TITLES: Our regular monthly promotion of the very best new titles in children's reading as chosen by librarians, publishers and Chatterbooks reading groups is available now. See the full autumn list and download this month's poster for the October promotions. Look out for online reviews of the latest books written by children who are members of Chatterbooks reading groups.

News of libraries' involvement with World Book Night. The 25 titles to be given away in thousands will be announced on 12 October. See www.readinggroups.org nearer the time for details.