main content Young readers go wild for summer reading challenge

The Big Wild, this summer’s reading challenge for 4-12 years old, was hugely popular in Bromley, with more that 5,000 children taking part and an astounding 20,000 books being read during the school summer holidays.

Children signed up to the challenge at their local library and were given a colourful folder with scratch and sniff stickers and other incentives to chart their progress and encourage them to complete the challenge by reading six books. The 2,161 children who completed the challenge were presented with a certificate and a reading champion’s medal.

This year, the ninth that a summer reading challenge has been organised in libraries across the country, had an environmental theme and encouraged children to make a positive difference to their environment. Thanks to a partnership with The Woodland Trust, every book read as part of the summer reading challenge helped to plant new trees in local woodlands .

“Recent research has shown that the summer reading challenge has a positive effect on children’s reading skills, opens up their reading choices and motivates them to read for pleasure. The Big Wild Read has been a great success for Bromley’s library service; it has encouraged children and their families to visit their local library and discover the exciting range of books we have on offer” said Ian Dodds, Development Manager for Bromley Library, Archive and Museum Service.


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Editor’s notes: 

For media enquiries, please contact Amanda Day, Communications Officer on 020 8313 4390 or email amanda.day@bromley.gov.uk.

For general enquiries, please contact Ian Dodds, Library Services on  020 8460 9955 or email ian.dodds@bromley.gov.uk.