JOIN The Story Adventurers’ Club, a reading challenge for children aged four to 16 years old, with the aim of inspiring reading for fun all year round.
The challenge, organised by Wiltshire libraries, is to read 100 books; it is a personal challenge with no time frame and children are encouraged to read at their own pace choosing books they want to read.
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Libraries said, “This will inspire children and young people to develop a life-long love of reading for pleasure, which is known to support good mental health and wellbeing, educational attainment and future career prospects, plus help them to develop creativity and empathy.”
To join the challenge children must have a library membership and have started to read independently.
Children can register for the challenge at any Wiltshire Council library – it is free to join the library and the challenge. Once registered children will be offered the choice of one of four special booklets (each with a different design) to record the books they read and as they progress library staff will stamp their booklets plus offer ongoing encouragement and support.
Children can personalise their booklets by adding a photo or drawing of themselves and at various stages in their reading journey they will be asked about their reading – such as their favourite books, fictional places and things they’ve discovered.
When they have completed the challenge by reading 100 books, they will be asked for final comments and to choose their favourite book. The certificate at the end of the booklet will be stamped and signed, and children can then move onto their next 100 books if they wish.
Library staff will be on hand to help choose books and encourage them throughout the challenge. Melksham Library is based in the Campus, just off the Market Place.