Get involved with Warwickshire’s Summer Reading Challenge

Summer reading Challenge image of six children with phones, books and gadgets.

This summer, children aged 4-11 can visit Warwickshire libraries to meet the Gadgeteers characters and to get involved in a science and innovation themed Summer Reading Challenge.

A popular annual activity in the library calendar, the Summer Reading Challenge encourages children to borrow and read six books, which can include eBook and eAudio formats, over the course of the summer holidays. With materials available from Warwickshire Libraries and the Challenge website, children will be able to join six fictional Gadgeteers, brought to life by children’s writer and illustrator Julian Beresford. Children who successfully complete the challenge will receive a certificate and medal, having used their curiosity and wonder to understand the science behind a whole range of interests, from fashion and technology to cooking and music.

The Gadgeteers will help to spark children’s curiosity about the world around them and encourage them to feed their imagination over the summer holiday. They will be boggled by brilliant facts, gaze at the stars, and be inspired by tales of creativity and invention. Have a browse of the fantastic Summer Reading Challenge collection.

In addition to the reading challenge, Warwickshire libraries will be hosting a range of free events for children to enjoy during the summer, including an action-packed storytelling adventure game with Pyn Stockman called “The Lost Book of The Magic Flying Ship”. Each session will be packed full of puzzles, clues, and creative tasks to find the lost book and imagine a fantastical design for a magic flying ship to travel through portals and save all the trees and flowers from the terrible sorcerer who has taken them away. Free places for this activity are available to book via the links below:

Kate’s Storytree ‘Stories of Innovation’ sessions will also be taking place, sharing inspiring tales of Amelia Earhart, Charles Darwin and other great innovators who shared their talents with the world. Using cotton reels, corks, egg boxes and a variety of craft materials, children will also make their own puppet to take home as part of the event. To book onto a free ‘Stories of Innovation’ session, click on the links below:

Look out for more fun events and activities in Warwickshire libraries in keeping with Summer Reading Challenge themes of innovation and creativity; why not try ‘Let’s Make Lego Inventions’ and ‘Let’s Make Racing Robots’, or Brilliant Bridges, Bees & Butterflies, Racing Rockets and more. To find out more about children’s summer holiday activities, you can ask at your local library or keep up to date by signing up to the Warwickshire Libraries newsletter.

Cllr Andy Jenns, Portfolio Holder for Customer and Transformation,

“This year the Summer Reading Challenge is focused on innovation, and with Warwickshire libraries hosting this free initiative we hope it will encourage and inspire children across the county to explore the joys of reading throughout the summer holiday period.

“All Warwickshire County Council libraries are friends of Child Friendly Warwickshire, and support children and young people’s education through the provision of enriching environments so that they can be safe, happy and healthy, and equipped with the right skills to have the best lives they can.

“Reading is an important skill that provides many benefits to a child’s learning and development including improved communication skills, knowledge, and creativity, and this challenge is a great way to spark children’s imaginations whilst also supporting parents, carers and teachers with their children’s ongoing learning and reading skills outside of the classroom.”

The Summer Reading Challenge reaches over 700,000 children across the UK each year in partnership with public libraries. The Challenge continued to reach well over half a million children across the UK in 2021 as lockdowns eased, motivating children to keep reading during a difficult time. Families told The Reading Agency that taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge helped their children to enjoy reading more, feel more confident about reading and ‘feel better’ during a tough period. Family use of libraries also increased amongst Challenge participants, with more than 130,000 children joining the library as new members.

Since 1999, the popular Challenge has encouraged children to read for pleasure over the summer holidays, building reading skills and confidence and helping to prevent the ‘dip’ in reading skills while children are out of school. By providing fun reading activities, the Challenge will support families and teachers by providing free-to-access recreation and learning resources – all created to keep children inspired to read. The digital Summer Reading Challenge platform will encourage children with limited physical access to the library to take part in the Challenge.

Karen Napier, CEO at The Reading Agency,

"We're delighted to see how library partners across the country are organising their own events and activities to support this year's Summer Reading Challenge. We are really looking forward to working closely with them to help get children reading, innovating, and sparking their imaginations this summer.”

The Summer Challenge runs from Saturday 16 July until Saturday 3 September 2022. For full details about participating Warwickshire libraries, opening times and safety information visit, the Warwickshire Libraries webpages.

To keep-up to date with Warwickshire Libraries’ latest activities, information, and events, you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter, sign up to the weekly newsletter, or read the Warwickshire Libraries blog.

Published: 25th July 2022