Don’t just sit there – get reading!

For 2008, the Summer Reading Challenge™ takes a sporting theme to encourage children to get active and get reading.

The Summer Reading Challenge™ is the UK’s biggest children’s reading initiative. It’s organised by The Reading Agency charity in partnership with the UK public library services. This is the tenth successive year of the challenge, and it reaches some 650,000 children in 97% of UK libraries.

Last year 20,870 children took part in the Big Wild Read challenge in Hampshire Libraries and over 13,000 received medals. In total Hampshire Libraries issued nearly half a million children’s books during the two months in which the challenge took place.

This year, Team Read will be running from Monday 14 July to Saturday 13 September in all Hampshire libraries. You have to be between 4 and 11 to take part and there is no charge…just come along during those dates to sign up and get reading. This year there are special animated cards to record your progress and stickers to collect to complete your giant stadium poster. Everyone who reads and returns 6 library books as part of the Team Read will get a gold medal…just like the winners in the Beijing Olympics.

So why not Go for Gold this summer!

‘Team Read’ book list

Scoular Anderson - Mean Team from Mars 5+
Can a football game against aliens show Rory a new way to enjoy his favourite sport?

Felice Arena - Tennis ace 7+
Tom and Joey start up a tennis competition at the local park and the big names can’t wait to compete

Ann Bryant - Great swimming race4+
With the race about to begin, will Joshua Jet Fish win again?

Nick Butterworth - Sports day3+
All the familiar features of sports day, including the rain

Champion crack-ups: more than 150 sensational sports jokes6+
Jokes on every sport imaginable

Michael Coleman - Flaming Olympics7+
Fun facts and quiz questions – the perfect accompaniment to the Olympics

Carrie Weston - Lucky socks3+
Kevin can’t find his lucky socks anywhere on the morning of the school’s sports day.

Jacqueline Wilson - Connie and the water babies7+
Connie hates the water. Why does she have to go swimming every week?