Summer Reading Challenge: Story Garden - Adventures in Nature and the Great Outdoors

The Summer Reading Challenge encourages children to keep reading during the summer holidays, ensuring they are ready for a great start to the new term in the autumn. Children set a reading goal and collect rewards for reading anything they enjoy. It’s free to take part.

This year’s Challenge, Story Garden – Adventures in Nature and the Great Outdoors, will inspire children to tap into a world of imagination through reading, exploring the magical connection between storytelling and nature.

How the Summer Reading Challenge works
Children aged 4 to 11 can sign up at one of the City of London Libraries – Artizan Street Library, Barbican Children’s Library or Shoe Lane Library – to start their challenge.
• Borrow books and get reading! Children set their reading goal (we suggest six books) and record what they have read along the way. Library staff and volunteers are on hand to chat to children about the books they have read.
• For every book read, children can pick up a reward as they progress through the challenge.
• Children who complete their challenge are presented with a certificate and a medal.

Children can also take part online to collect digital rewards.
For children aged 3 and under, they can sign up to the Mini Challenge, which is a bite sized version of the Summer Reading Challenge for our younger readers.

How the Mini Challenge works
• Sign up at your local library for free.
• Choose any books your child likes.
• Read and share the stories together.
• Collect a sticker for each book to fill up the collector card.
• Collect six stickers to complete the mini challenge and earn a special gold sticker.

Fun library events this summer
Take a look here for our Summer Reading Challenge events.

Volunteering opportunities for young people aged 14 and over
Become a Summer Reading Challenge volunteer this summer. We are looking for young people aged 14 and over to support the Summer Reading Challenge in Barbican Children’s Library. Opportunities may include:
• Talking to children about the books they’ve read
• Signing up new challengers and handing out prizes
• Keeping records of challengers’ reading

Apply
If you are interested in taking part, please apply online.
Alternatively please ask at the Barbican Children’s Library for a physical application form.
The deadline for applications is Saturday 19 July.