Kids go wild on book challenge

Youngsters across Staffordshire will be encouraged to go wild about books over the summer with the launch of a major reading challenge.

Libraries across the county will be running a host of activities as part of the national drive.

The Big Wild Read annual reading challenge begins on Saturday and will run until September 16.

Nature and the environment are the inspiration for this year's reading promotion for children, that runs at libraries all over the country during the school summer holidays.

Staff at every library in Staffordshire are encouraging children to make a positive difference to their environment by signing up to the Big Wild Read and "take the challenge – change your world".

Sponsored by Stafford Railway Building Society, the initiative is mainly aimed at children aged from four to 12, encouraging them to read more.

The challenge involves children reading six or more books of their choice to receive a variety of rewards, including stickers, a packet of flower seeds, plus free passes or money off vouchers to local attractions.

This year it links with the BBC's Breathing Spaces environmental initiative which is inviting people to engage with nature.

Organisers have also teamed up with the Woodland Trust's "Trees for All" campaign, which aims to involve one million children in planting twelve million trees across the UK.

Staffordshire County Councillor Maureen Compton, cabinet support member for cultural services, said that, as part of the scheme, the more books children read, the more trees would be planted.

She said: "Reading has a huge impact on learning throughout the whole curriculum, so it's really important that children are encouraged to continue to read during the summer holidays.

"The summer reading challenge is an excellent and fun way of helping to bridge the 'learning gap' over the summer, allowing children to start learning quicker and more effectively in September."

Mike Heenan, chief executive of Stafford Railway Building Society, said: "The Big Wild Read is a fantastic initiative that not only encourages children to read books, but also engages them with nature.

"Books inspire creativity and imagination in children, and help improve their spelling and grammar. In addition, learning about nature will hopefully motivate children to enjoy more outdoor activities, rather than spending the summer holidays indoors," he added.

Last year 9,333 children took part in Staffordshire and 4,732 children completed the challenge, having read 131,657 books.