Kids rise to summer reading challenge
Book worms are rewarded for their efforts
Children in Perth and Kinross have been celebrating after successfully challenging themselves to read six books during the school summer holidays.
As the end of the summer holidays approached last week, 18 children who took part in Tesco Bank’s summer reading challenge met children’s author Nick Hesketh at North Inch Community Library to mark completing the effort.
Run by The Reading Agency, the summer reading challenge aims to encourage children to enjoy reading during the summer holidays, in an effort to avoid the traditional dip in literacy levels during this time.
It tasked kids with reading six different books over the six weeks of the holidays, with each receiving a medal at the end.
This year also saw an ‘animal agents’ theme to help inspire the children.
One girl who successfully completed the challenge was Katie Loudon, who this week started primary seven at Oakbank Primary School.
Mum Alison Downie said: “My daughter has never been a keen reader and I have found it hard to motivate her, but when a librarian visited her school to talk about the summer reading challenge she was very enthusiastic about taking part.
“She loved going to the library to choose books and receive her award each time and when she went to return her final two books and was given her medal I was so proud of her, and she smiled from ear to ear!
“She was so chuffed with herself and proceeded to choose another three books even though she has completed the challenge.
“Thanks to the reading challenge she now has a thirst for reading that I was so desperate for her to have and I know that this is the start of a love of reading that I had as a child.”
Vince Davidson, North Inch Author Nick Hesketh meets children at the North Inch Community Library in Perth Community Library’s supervisor, added: “Year on year the number of children participating in the Tesco Bank summer reading challenge has increased and we appreciate the grant that is available to us through Tesco Bank, to enable us to bring authors such as Nick in to the library for children to see and hear first hand.”
Katie Loudon completed the summer reading challenge