Calling Cardiff bookworms – The Summer Reading Challenge is back!

The popular Summer Reading Challenge is back in Cardiff libraries and hubs this year as part of a Summer of Fun seeking to inspire children in the city to learn more about science and innovation.

The challenge is part of a fun-packed summer of activities and events in Cardiff libraries and hubs. This year there will be an added bonus with more activities and events taking place as part of the Welsh Government-supported Project Gadgeteer Summer of Fun programme.

The Gadgeteers is also the theme of the Summer Reading Challenge and once again children can sign up and read six books of their own choice, and have heaps of fun, over the summer months.

Six fictional gadgeteer characters – brought to life by children’s writer and illustrator Julian Beresford – will be encouraging children aged 4 to 11 to use their curiosity and wonder to understand the science behind a whole range of every day interests, from fashion and technology to cooking and music.

Hubs and libraries across the city will be launching this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, which is presented by The Reading Agency and delivered by public libraries and hubs across the country every year, on Saturday July 9 with lots of fun activities. In Rhiwbina, while the library is being redeveloped, the launch party will take place on Friday, July 8 in the Beulah Centre. Visit www.cardiffhubs.co.uk to find out what’s on.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: “The Summer Reading Challenge is a fun way to motivate children to keep on reading over the school holidays to maintain their literacy skills. Over the past two years, there has been limited opportunities to celebrate the challenge as we would like so I’m really pleased that this year, our hubs and libraries will be able to hold a packed programme of events and activities to bring children and families back into our excellent facilities.

“More than 3,000 children took part in the challenge last year but we really would like to boost those numbers significantly, so I’m encouraging all 4 to 11-year-olds in the city to sign up, get reading and have a fantastic Summer of Fun with us.”

After signing up, children will be able to collect stickers, bookmarks and collectors’ cards as they work their way through their six books. Everyone who completes the challenge will also receive a medal and certificate.

It’s easy to sign up, just pop into your local library or hub or sign up online here: https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/

Following the success of the Winter of Wellbeing, Cardiff’s library service will once again be working with The Reading Agency to deliver Project Gadgeteer – a programme of events and activities for libraries across the whole of Wales, focussing on children’s wellbeing and development as part of the Welsh Government supported Summer of Fun 2022.