READING Borough Council has laid out its plans for this year’s Reading Loves Reading programme, set to take place from later this month.
While the school holidays are a time when children’s literacy skills traditionally dip, the council has set out a number of challenges to offer a fun way for children to rediscover and re-engage with their local library and catch up on their reading skills.
Children can take part in The Reading Agency’s annual Summer Reading Challenge for primary school aged children and Mini Challenge for under 5s.
The 2025 Summer Reading Challenge theme is Story Garden with books full of enchanting worlds, creatures, plants, and outdoor adventures. Each child who completes the challenge will receive a small prize and certificate.
New for 2025, Reading Libraries are launching a Book Bingo Challenge for teenagers and adults.
Everyone who completes their challenge will be entered into a branch prize draw for the chance to win either a Duplo set (Mini Challenge), Lego set (Story Garden Summer Reading Challenge), or an Amazon voucher (Book Bingo).
On Saturday 24 May each library will be making a full-size library scarecrow mascot. There will also be a scarecrow art competition with a prize of a family ticket to Reading Rep’s Christmas show.
Two craft events will take place every week at every library during May half-term and over the summer holidays, including planting sessions run by RISC.
Residents can sign up to the challenges at their local library from Saturday 24 May. To join a challenge, you will need to be a library member.
To find out more about how to join Reading Libraries and all our other services, including eBooks, eAudio and eMagazines, via the council website.
Reading Libraries are free to join and no longer charge overdue fines.
Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture said: “This year we are going bigger and better with the launch of Reading loves reading. Between Saturday 24 May and Saturday 13 September we’ll have three brilliant challenges on offer at each of our libraries.
“The challenges are a great way for children to keep up their reading skills and confidence over the school holidays and prevent the common holiday ‘reading dip’.”
“I am particularly excited about the wider age range this year: the Mini Challenge allows pre-readers to join in and be rewarded for engaging with books, and with no upper age limit for the Book Bingo Challenge parents can participate alongside their teenagers to motivate them to spend more time with books and less on screens during the summer holidays.”
She explained: “The summer reading dip impacts children and young people’s learning at the start of the school year but the Reading reading challenge provides parents with the tools they need to support continued reading through the summer – and it is all completely free.
“All seven of our libraries are participating so drop by your local branch to sign up.
“Don’t worry if you are not yet a library member–you can sign up quickly and easily online or at your local library.
“Library membership is free and comes with a host of benefits as well as access to the reading challenges.”
Reading Loves Reading takes place from May 24–Spetember 13 in libraries across Reading.
Full details are available via: reading.gov.uk/libraries
