News from library authorities:
Tameside
Roll up, Roll up, for Circus Stars
Circus stars took centre stage in all 13 Tameside Libraries this summer. The annual Summer Reading Challenge for children aged 5 - 11 was a huge success with over 2500 children taking part. All the children had to do was read 6 books over the summer then bring them back to the library and tell us all about the books they have read to receive a whole host of rewards including stickers, a medal, a certificate and best of all ... a yoyo!
We also hosted Big Top Bashes at all libraries every week where the children (and staff) got to practice their circus skills including plate spinning, juggling and feather balancing. There were also circus related crafts and reading activities every week.
All children that finished the challenge by the 3rd of September were entered into a prize draw to win £100 in High Street Vouchers (kindly donated by New Charter Housing) and the lucky winner was Waqas Hussain from Holy Trinity primary.
There is a prize of a set of books (donated by the School Library Service) for the school with the most finishing children and this was won by Denton West End Primary. There was also a competition between the libraries to get the most children completing the challenge. The library with the most finishers this year was Hurst, where the children won free swim vouchers (donated by the Sports Trust) as a reward.
The Summer Reading Challenge, co-coordinated by The Reading Agency, has been running for over 10 years and is a fun and interactive way of encouraging children to read and to use the library. It is the biggest national reading initiative with children in 97% of library authorities taking part.
(Photo: £100 prize winner Waqas Hussain receiving his prize from Hannah Grantham of New Charter).
For more information please contact Victoria Heyes Tel: 0161 338 2708
Librarians in the North West have pioneered partnership working to encourage new readers into libraries. Time To Read is a partnership of librarians engaged in reader development activity in public library authorities in the North West Region. All 23 public library authorities in the region currently support Time To Read.