Ready, Set, Read! The Summer Reading Challenge 2023

Thank you to our friends at the library for this fantastic blog sharing all there is to know about this year's Summer Reading Challenge and what's on offer for families and young people this summer! 

There are lots of things happening for children and young people at the Norfolk & Norwich Millennium Library this summer and with the holidays on the horizon, we’re excited to celebrate the return of the Summer Reading Challenge.

Presented by The Reading Agency and delivered in partnership with public libraries, the challenge is aimed at children aged 4 to 11 and seeks to encourage them to read for pleasure over the six-week break in a fun and accessible way, to ensure that their reading levels don’t dip while they’re away from the classroom. For those pre-school children, there’s also a mini challenge they can complete too.

The theme for 2023 is Ready, Set, Read! and in partnership with the national children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust, this year’s challenge hopes to keep young people’s minds and bodies active over the summer break, unleashing the power of play, sport and physical activity through reading.

Taking part is very easy: children can sign up at their local Norfolk Library where they’ll receive a welcome pack introducing them to the challenge and all the characters involved. For every two library books they read, they’ll receive a set of smelly stickers and once they’ve read six books they’ll get a certificate and medal to congratulate them on their successful reading journey.

There may even be a medal ceremony for them to attend at their local branch! It’s completely free to take part, so make sure you sign up your young readers from 8^th July. If you need any more convincing on what makes the Summer Reading Challenge so great, why not watch our special introductory video on YouTube?

Alongside the Summer Reading Challenge, Libraries across Norfolk will be hosting a whole range of fun events and activities. Many of them will require booking, so have a look online for individual details or drop into your nearest branch to speak to staff and find out more.

Here at the Millennium Library in The Forum, we have our own programme packed full of special events, from stop-motion video making and active sporty story times, to Lego activities and creative dice-making game workshops.

There’s something for all ages and spaces to attend these will be limited, so pop into see us and book a place for your child to attend, or have a look online here.

Our weekly Bounce and Rhyme sessions for under 5s will also continue to take place over the summer. On Tuesdays from 2-2.30pm we have Babytime session, and on Thursday and Friday mornings (both from 10.30-11am) we have our Toddlertime and Storytime sessions suitable for toddlers and pre-schoolers respectively.

As well as sessions to occupy children and families, there’s lots to keep adults busy this summer too and to find full listings of everything taking place at the Millennium Library, check out our website.

We’d also like to remind you that joining the library is absolutely free and we really encourage families to sign up to gain access to a variety of wonderful books and resources for all ages- you can even sign up online. 

For more information about Norfolk Library and Information Service and the Summer Reading Challenge, visit the website, or follow us on social media.