Young bookworms join the Summertime Reading Club
Young bookworms join the Summertime Reading Club
The Summertime Reading Club has returned,
exciting young bookworms across Christchurch, and helping
fill the gap left in children’s education left by the
summer holidays.
Christchurch City Libraries runs the
competition, which involves children aged 5–13 reading as
many books as they can. For every six books completed, a
reading log can be registered online. There is no limit on
the number of logs entered.
Acting Libraries and
Information Unit Manager Andrew Adams says, “Kids can
choose from a variety of genres – from sports and true
stories to magical mysteries. It’s about letting them
pursue their own interests and direct their own
learning.”
Mayor Bob Parker says the competition
helps fight a phenomenon that educationalists call “the
summer slide.”
“It’s been proven that when the
average child goes on a summer break, they lose the
equivalent of almost a month of education received in school
that year, especially in regards to reading ability.
Summertime reading programmes like ours have been shown to
have an incredibly positive effect on the behaviour,
education and outlook of children.”
Last year, the
Summertime Reading Club received 800 entries – twice what
it received in the 2009/2010 season. This year, it is hoped
there will be more than 1000 entries.
With more and
more children reading, Christchurch City Libraries feels a
special reward is in order. The first 500 entries receive
mini prize-packs. There will also be weekly book prizes, and
the grand prize of an iPod Touch. Paper Plus Barrington, a
longtime supporter of Christchurch City Libraries’ reading
programmes, will host the prizegiving at 4pm Friday 27
January, where book winners get to choose their prize from
the shelves.
Entries close on Friday 20 January 2012. For more information, and to register, please visit christchurchcitylibraries.com.
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