Keep reading and visiting your library throughout the school summer holidays! Take part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge at East Riding Libraries.
The Summer Reading Challenge is a FREE holiday activity for children. It’s all about reading for fun and visiting your local library regularly, aiming to maintain or improve children’s reading skills and confidence. The Challenge runs every year throughout the summer holidays, designed for children aged 4-11, who are all welcome to take part!
The Summer Reading Challenge is produced by The Reading Agency and delivered in partnership with libraries.
This year’s theme is all about music! It hopes to inspires children to explore the connection between stories and songs, discovering how reading and music both ignite imagination and creativity.
This year’s Challenge is brought to life with illustrations by award-winning author and illustrator, Harry Woodgate.
Children's reading can 'dip' during the long summer holidays if they do not have regular access to books or reading, and this can impact them when they return to the classroom. The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge really helps by getting over 700,000 children regularly into libraries every summer, with thousands more taking part online.
There is no other free reading activity that involves so many children, introduces families to their library, encourages children to choose books freely and independently and is endorsed by parents and teachers.
The Summer Reading Challenge increases children’s reading engagement and confidence and supports a variety of local and national government priorities, including post-Covid recovery, the levelling up of opportunity, and the support of children’s health and wellbeing.
The Summer Reading Challenge takes place every year during the summer holidays. Children sign up at their local library, choose a reading goal, then read any books of their choice to collect special stickers and other rewards along the way – all for FREE.
Children can read anything they like (really - anything!) and collect free rewards for their reading and for visiting their library.
Just pop in to your local library to sign up. The Challenge officially launches for sign-ups in our libraries on Saturday 4 July!
Children can also take part online through the official Summer Reading Challenge website. Sign up for a free Challenge profile and get book recommendations and tips for accessing books for free at home. On the website, children can review books, unlock digital rewards, and access competitions, videos and games.
Join us for some spectacular events in our libraries this summer, including events supporting Summer Reading Challenge 2026: Read to the Beat!
Preschool children, aged 5 years or under, are invited to take part in Little Summer Readers, enjoying reading and visiting libraries alongside our adorable Little Readers mascot Hoot, this summer!