Summer Reading Challenge

The Summer Reading Challenge began in 1999 with Reading Safari.^[2]

This initiative was designed to encourage children to read more during their summer holidays. addressing the "summer slide" in literacy. The first theme was "Reading Safari," and it was developed to encourage kids to continue reading during the break when their skills might otherwise decline. The challenge was organized by The Reading Agency, which was established to advocate for libraries and promote reading across the UK.

The program quickly gained traction, with around 450,000 children participating in its first year. The success of this initiative was supported by a national PR campaign and the creation of professional materials to ensure consistency across libraries.

In 2006, the Summer Reading Challenge Impact Research Report was published by an agency called Product Perceptions.^[3] The report highlighted that 60% of participating children read more as a direct result of the challenge.^[4]

The child first asks for registration at the library desk with their library card in their hand. They then receive the Summer Reading Challenge Sheet where they track their progress and add stickers to complete the challenge. They read two books at a time from the library, record them on their sheet then show the sheet to the librarian where they get two stickers to put on their sheet (one often being a scratch-n'-sniff). After they have collected all the stickers and read their six books, they receive a medal and a certificate.^[5]

In Wales, most items are available in bilingual Welsh-English versions.^[6]

In Scotland, the Summer Reading Challenge is sponsored by Tesco Bank.

The Summer Reading Challenge is also run outside of the UK, in Ireland and internationally through the British Council’s teaching and learning services.

An interactive website for children is available year-round, where they can create a profile, chat about books, and get help on what to read next via the digital Book Sorter. This Book Sorter functionality already offers over 300,000 peer to peer children’s book recommendations in child-friendly categories, added by children themselves, who have read these titles in a Summer Reading Challenge or other activity.