Summer Reading Challenge: Thousands of children pledge to join reading record attempt

Tomorrow, Saturday 11 July, is the official launch date for the Summer Reading Challenge in the UK.

 

Kids and families in their thousands are expected to make the trip to their local library this weekend and make a pledge to read six library books over the summer holidays – entirely for free.

 

By joining the campaign, each child will become part of an exciting record attempt for the Most pledges received for a reading campaign – the target is to exceed the 800,000 children who took part last summer.

 

To mark the start of the challenge, around 30 MPs from around the UK attended an event at the houses of parliament on Wednesday to pledge their support as part of the Summer Reading Challenge Initiative.

 

 

Ed Vaizey (below), the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries was one of the MPs who pledged to encourage children to read.

 

 

Organised by charity The Reading Agency and the public library network, the annual Summer Reading Challenge, aimed at 4-11 year olds, is the biggest reading for pleasure programme in the UK and has become a highlight of the summer for many families.

 

However, this year’s challenge is likely to be the most exciting yet because the new theme is 'Record Breakers' – it will bring together fact and fiction and challenge young readers to explore astonishing real-life achievements, not to mention the Guinness World Records title attempt.

"Guinness World Records is extremely proud to be playing a central role in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge," said GWR's Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday.

"Books have always been at the heart of everything we do, and we’re thrilled to be able to support an initiative that gets kids into libraries and picking up books. Libraries are sacred places. They’re portals that can transport you into fantasy worlds, or to the distant past, to encounter dinosaurs or Ancient Romans; in the present, they can take you to parts of the world where you’d never visit and show you things you’ll never see with your own eyes; and they can whisk you into the future, where the only limits are your imagination."

"I like to think of Guinness World Records as a guidebook to these places, revealing the extremes of the known world and inspiring readers to think beyond what they think is possible. Happy reading!"

 

 

Sue Wilkinson, CEO of The Reading Agency said: “This year, the Record Breakers themed challenge is all about achieving your personal best, so we want as many people as possible to join us and pledge to use their local library this summer.”

 

 

Children that pledge this weekend will receive an amazing poster from which they can learn fascinating facts about record breakers and they can collect stickers each time they finish a book. Create a profile on summerreadingchallenge.org.uk to chat about books and download the free app to play augmented reality games.

 

 

To kick off the challenge, official Guinness World Records adjudicators are going to be at the Canada Water Library in London today doing Q&A sessions with local school children who sign up.

 

New Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell and author Julia Donaldson will be pledging their support at their local library this weekend.

 

Much loved children’s author Jacqueline Wilson says, “It’s lovely that so many children still love reading and are happy to join the Summer Reading Challenge. I think we’ll definitely set a new Guinness World Records title for the most pledges received for a reading campaign.”