The MP for Chesterfield and Staveley, Toby Perkins, is supporting The Reading Agency’s annual ‘Summer Reading Challenge’ to get young people reading in the holiday.

The challenge, that has been going for over 20 years, gives an opportunity to children aged 4 to 11 to enjoy the benefits of reading for pleasure and to learn more about their local library. They have the opportunity to earn stickers, wristbands and other prizes and rewards as they read.

This year’s theme ‘Gadgeteers’ will spark children’s curiosity about the world around them. With resources and activities from the Science Museum Group, the Challenge focuses on inspiring children to see the science and innovation behind everyday objects, showing that reading and science are for everyone.

All children need to do is to select their books from the library, read them and talk to their local librarian about what they enjoyed and what they learnt. Then, they get stickers to put in their activity book.

The challenge runs nationwide and aims to tackle the ‘dip’ in reading that often takes place over the long summer holidays.

Toby Perkins MP said “It was great to visit the Reading Agency event in parliament to learn about the work they do with their summer reading challenge. It is a great annual competition that allows young people to explore the wonders of reading and their local libraries. Many children make great progress at school but then the six weeks’ break comes, and they slip backwards.”

He continued “It is so valuable when children and their parents reads together and talk about these stories. I am sure that this years “Gadgeteers” theme will spark many people’s imagination and ignite a love for reading. I encourage anyone aged 4 to 11 to go to their local library in Chesterfield and Staveley and see what the ‘Summer Reading Challenge’ has to offer.”