Record numbers of young readers across Devon enjoy libraries this summer
Posted on 25 Sep 2023
Record numbers of children improved their reading skills with the help of libraries in Devon and Torbay this summer.
More than 13,000 children signed up this year – a 25% increase on last year’s figures.
The annual Summer Reading Challenge, staged by Libraries Unlimited in partnership with The Reading Agency, encourages children to keep up with their reading skills across the holidays – a time when they can traditionally dip – by reading six books of their choice.
This year’s Challenge was entitled ‘Ready, Set, Read!’ and was run in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust. The focus was on sports and games, harnessing the excitement of the Women’s Football World Cup, the Ashes cricket and many other major sporting events. Children who signed up enjoyed exploring books, comics, picture books, novels, poetry and audiobooks on sports themes, or any other topics of their choice.
Alex Kittow, Chief Executive of Libraries Unlimited, the charity that runs libraries across Devon and Torbay, said: “We couldn’t be more excited about the record numbers this summer. We set ourselves targets for the year and had already exceeded them by early August. To have an overall 25% increase for the whole summer is absolutely fantastic news.”
“Our staff pulled out the stops to put the Summer Reading Challenge on the map with brilliant launch events including a chance to have a go on a climbing wall in Barnstaple Library. Children in Exeter who hit the goals they had set for how many books they would read enjoyed a finishers’ celebration with a bouncy castle. Those in Exmouth and Topsham celebrated their success at a special finisher’s party at the World of Country Life. The summer’s weather was disappointing in so many ways, but our libraries remained welcoming, cheerful places for families looking for low-cost ways to entertain the children. Many didn’t just sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge but also enjoyed the huge range family-friendly activities that we’d put on for them.”
Children who completed the Summer Reading Challenge were entered into a free prize draw, and the winners were announced on Friday 22nd September. See the full list of winners and their libraries here.
It’s now hoped that even though the Summer Reading Challenge is over for the summer, enthusiastic young readers will move on to Libraries Unlimited’s Secret Book Quest which runs all year round. The initiative sets a 50-book goal for children to reach, with a specially-designed booklet, stickers to collect, codes to decipher and a prize at the end. The booklet is designed by acclaimed illustrator Emily Fox, who created characters Pip, Zena and Libro the cat to accompany kids on their reading adventure through ten themed worlds.
“Having regular access to books and encouragement to read for pleasure can be a game-changer in setting children up for a lifetime of learning and enjoyment,” added Alex. “We’re so pleased that we’ve helped so many youngsters to keep up their reading skills and deepen their love of books this summer. We very much hope they carry on and sign up for our Secret Book Quest which runs each year round, and we’ll look forward to helping them celebrate reaching their 50-book goal.”
Children can sign up for The Secret Book Quest by visiting their local library and speaking to a member of staff. Find your local library in Devon or Torbay.