'Ellen and Kaylee did the Summer Reading Challenge for the first time last summer. When we were taking the first set of books back to the library there was a lady who was telling people that there was also a Six Book Challenge for adults. I thought I'd do it - because I knew I could get the six books read, but also because I thought it would be good for the girls to see me doing it, and reading. It meant we could all sit down and read together, that I could tell them that Mummy had to read a bit of her book.'

Getting the whole family involved

The Reading Agency runs two major reading challenges each year - the Summer Reading Challenge, for primary school aged children, and the Six Book Challenge, designed for adults.

Following a small pilot in 2010, several library services have promoted the Six Book Challenge to parents and other family members whose children are taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge. They've found that it's a great way to get all the family involved and for children to be encouraged by seeing their parents reading.

This has worked well where libraries have worked with family learning and children's centres in order to get parents going on the Six Book Challenge well ahead of the summer. This means that parents are in a better position to support their own children to do the Summer Reading Challenge once it starts.

Dudley Libraries running both challenges

Dudley Libraries have promoted both Challenges in parallel for the last couple of years, working with family learning and children's centres. In 2011 they registered 18 parents, 11 of whom completed. Hazel Birt, Principal Librarian Children & Young People for Dudley Libraries, explains "We are looking at targeting a locality in 2012 using the good practice gained from last two years and widening to local colleges and workplaces and ensuring that local library staff are all fully briefed."

Get involved

Although the Summer Reading Challenge draws to a close in September children can still visit the Story Lab website to find games and ideas on new books to read.

Find your own book to read so you can keep up with the kids.

Have you done the Six Book Challenge whilst your children did the Summer Reading Challenge? Do let us know how you got on.

If you're a library service who's been running both challenges, we'd love to hear from you, so please do get in touch.