A SCHEME to get children to keep reading during the summer holiday starts in libraries across the district this week.

The Summer Reading Challenge is a national library initiative, delivered by libraries in partnership with the Reading Agency.

The challenge is for children to read six books of their choice over the summer break, and every child who does so will receive a certificate and medal.

Last year Bradford had over 4,200 children participating in the challenge, a rise of 0.2 per cent on last year. Furthermore, 49 per cent of children who started the Summer Reading Challenge completed and almost 600 children joined the library especially to start the summer reading challenge.

Research shows that the challenge improves children’s enjoyment of reading, as well as their reading range, confidence and motivation and it helps prevent the summer holiday dip in literacy skills.

This past year has seen many of the district’s libraries move from being council run to being run by volunteers. However, the reading challenge is continuing at these libraries, and they will be hosting some of the various different events held during the challenge, as well as the challenge itself.

This year’s theme for the challenge is Animal Agents, illustrated by the UK’s best-selling children’s illustrator Tony Ross, author and illustrator of the Little Princess series. As well as illustrating books for the UK’s best-selling children’s author David Walliams, he’s also worked with Francesca Simon on her hugely popular Horrid Henry series, and provided the illustrations for many much-loved picture books by Jeanne Willis, including the award-winning Dr Xargle series.

Animal Agents is a detective agency manned by animals. Every child who joins “Animal Agents” will receive a fold-up wallet with six collector stickers. There are also bookmarks, fortune tellers, key rings and wristbands to collect. Every child who reads six books will receive a certificate and medal complete with presentation wallet, all featuring artwork of Mr Ross.

This year the Animal Agents Summer Reading Challenge starts on Saturday Bradford Libraries, with the launch event taking place on Wednesday July 12 with a story–telling performance of Martin Waddell’s much-loved classic “The Owl Babies” with Simon Kerrigan and Sian Williams, in the presence of four classes from three schools.

There will be sessions at Manningham Library from 10am to 11am for Lister Primary, Margaret McMillan Primary and Lilycroft Primary and at City Library from 1.15pm to 2.15pm for Peel Park Primary, Fagley Primary and Frizinghall Primary.

Animal Agents offers children the chance to discover the animal world and libraries will have activities relating to animals, including a story-telling performance of Martin Waddell’s Owl Babies, to meeting the Dog’s Trust dog and finding out about caring for pets, handling exotic creatures with ZooLab, drawing, creating and animating animals with comic artist Dr. Simpo to unearthing hidden animal knowledge with the Ultimate Animal Discovery Quiz.

Christinea Donnelly Development Officer for Young People at Bradford Libraries, said: “The Summer Reading Challenge can make a real difference to the literacy attainments of the children of Bradford, as well as develop a passion and enjoyment for reading which reaches beyond a child’s school years.”