Information on Loughborough

Quest Seekers library reading challenge

Posted on 13/06/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Community Services

11 June 2009

Quest Seekers library reading challenge

Children in Leicestershire are challenged to go on a mysterious quest for golden books at their library this summer.

This year’s Summer Reading Challenge is called Quest Seekers. Children aged 4 – 12 years can pick up a free membership card and fold-out poster from their local library or mobile library from 4th July.

They will be challenged to find a golden book and by reading throughout the summer, they will collect stickers and other goodies. When they complete the challenge, they will be rewarded with a certificate.

Margaret Bellamy, Head of Leicestershire Library Services, said: “Quest Seekers is a great way to keep children entertained over the holidays – and it helps them read widely and get ready to learn when they return to school. Teachers say they can see the difference it makes.”

Children under four can join in their own version of Quest Seekers by visiting their local library and collecting stickers for a special Bookcrawl Quest Seekers certificate.

Libraries across the county will be running free Quest Seekers activities throughout the summer and there will be a special Quest Quest Seekers website linking children with top authors and illustrators, and giving them space to talk about their favourite books and to share reading ideas.

For more information about Quest Seekers call in at your local library or visit the website at www.leics.gov.uk/questseekers.

Notes for editors

Contact:  Val Plant, Development Librarian, 0116 305 3820  vplant@leics.gov.uk

The Summer Reading Challenge is a national reading initiative co-ordinated by The Reading Agency, an independent charity working to inspire more people to read more. It is funded by the Arts Council and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. (www.readingagency.org.uk)

The Summer Reading Challenge 2008 report showed that:

  • · 690,000 children aged four to 12 years took part across the UK in the 2008 Challenge, called Team Read.
  • · 290,000 boys participated – 23,500 more than in 2007
  • · Libraries loaned 17.6 million children’s books over ten weeks, 10% up on 2007
  • · 47,000 children joined as new library members
  • · The Team Read website had 3.4 million page views
  • · Visit www.readingagency.org.uk/children/summer-reading-challenge