Summer Reading Challenge at Renfrewshire Libraries from 22 June

This summer, children aged 4-11 can visit Renfrewshire Libraries to join the 'Marvellous Makers' Summer Reading Challenge, firing up their imaginations through the power of reading and creative expression.

In partnership with Create, a leading arts charity, and public libraries, this year's Challenge celebrates kids' creativity and storytelling abilities. Children will be encouraged to explore new books and stories while taking part in free activities, from arts and crafts to music, dance, and more.

The bespoke Challenge artwork is illustrated by celebrated artist Natelle Quek, bringing the 'Marvellous Makers' theme vibrantly to life. By reading books and collecting incentives at Renfrewshire Libraries, young readers can foster their creative thinking skills over the summer break.    This year incentives include free swim passes for OneRen swimming pools,  origami paper and a pop badge!   Paul McGrath from local business Consilium Contracting Services will be sponsoring a free pair of cinemat tickets for one lucky winner in each library.   There will also be a special prize of a show from Booster Cushion Theatre and an author visit for the schools with the best completion rates.  

A launch event will be held on Saturday June 22^nd at 10.30am at Paisley Central Library with children’s author Lindsay Littleson.  FREE.  All welcome to attend, no booking required.  

Visit www.renfrewshirelibraries.co.uk  to discover all the free family activities on offer at your local library and where the Skoobmobile will be visiting this summer. 

The Summer Reading Challenge aims to prevent the "summer dip" learning loss many children experience over the holidays when they aren't in school. With libraries' support, it provides a free, fun way to keep young minds active. In 2023, over 685,000 children across the UK participated.

Karen Napier, CEO of The Reading Agency, said: "The Summer Reading Challenge sparks children's creativity and imagination through reading. Developed with Create, this year's 'Marvellous Makers' theme will inspire kids' inner storytellers and makers. We're thrilled to work with libraries to provide an engaging environment for exploring new ideas through books and activities."

Andrew Givan,  Children & Young People Co-ordinator, OneRen, said:  “We look forward to welcoming families to our libraries again this year for what promises to be another amazing programme of activities with reading at its heart.   We had great feedback from parents, carers and children last year about how much they enjoyed taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge.”

About The Summer Reading Challenge:
The Summer Reading Challenge has been running since 1999 and helps to prevent the summer reading ‘dip’ that many young people experience during their summer holidays while schools are closed. With delivery through public libraries, the Summer Reading Challenge is accessible to all and provides a fun, free activity for children. In 2023, the Summer Reading Challenge reached 685,821 children and families across the UK, with 635,115 children taking part through their local library service. The Challenge also drove 133,697 new children’s library memberships which is 42% higher than the 2019 pre-pandemic total.  

About The Reading Agency

The Reading Agency is a UK charity with a mission to empower people of all ages to read. Evidence shows that reading improves health and wellbeing, life chances and social connections. The Reading Agency champions access to the proven power of reading by providing activities for all ages. Working with public libraries, prisons, hospitals and other community settings, we reach over two million people a year. But with a UK population of over 67 million that's not nearly enough. We want to get more people fired up about reading because everything changes when you read. 

About Create
Create is a multi-award-winning charity empowering lives, reducing isolation and enhancing wellbeing through the creative arts. Since it was established in 2003, the charity has been guided by the knowledge that people need to create. A national charity that champions local priorities, Create partners with local community organisations to run high-quality creative projects for their service users. Spanning 16 different artforms, these projects are led by professional artists who deliver visual arts to filmmaking, jewellery-making to music, and most recently, circus arts! 

createarts.org.uk | @createcharity

Lindsay Littleson is the author of nine children’s novels, including Guardians of the Wild Unicorns, which was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for both the Stockton Children’s Book Prize and East Sussex Children’s Book Prize.  Lindsay’s latest novel “Ice Cream Boy” is published by Floris Books and is a heartwarming story of family, resilience and hope.