The Big Friendly Read, Summer Reading Challenge 2016 available at Cobbett Hub and Library

Children invited to join The Big Friendly Read at Cobbett Hub and Library

Cobbett Hub and Library is calling for children to sign up to read six books this summer as part of The Big Friendly Read, Summer Reading Challenge 2016.

The Summer Reading Challenge asks 4-11 year olds to borrow and read any six library books over the summer. It has a new theme each year and in 2016 the Challenge is delivered in collaboration with The Roald Dahl Literary Estate to celebrate 100 years of the world’s favourite storyteller.

The Big Friendly Read, Summer Reading Challenge 2016 will feature some of Roald Dahl’s best-loved characters and the amazing artwork of his principal illustrator, Sir Quentin Blake. It will encourage reading on a giant scale.

To take part in the Challenge, all children need to do is sign up with us at Cobbett Hub and Library. They’ll receive a special collector’s folder and as they borrow and read at least six library books over the summer, they can collect six special cards to complete it. The cards all feature original Quentin Blake illustrations and explore some of most popular themes in Roald Dahl’s books such as invention, mischief and friendship.

The Big Friendly Read Summer Reading Challenge launches at Cobbett Hub and Library on Saturday 16 July and runs until Friday 16 September.

There’s a whole programme of events and activities planned at Cobbett Hub and Library for families over the summer to celebrate the Summer Reading Challenge. Just go to www.cobbetthub.co.uk to find out how to take part.

Sue Wilkinson, CEO, The Reading Agency, said: “The Summer Reading Challenge is developed and delivered in partnership with librarians across the country. At The Reading Agency, we believe that everything changes when we read and we know from our research how much fun families and children have when taking part in the Challenge. This year we hope Roald Dahl’s fantastic characters, and Sir Quentin Blake’s brilliant artwork, will inspire many more children to take part and make use of their local library throughout the summer and beyond.”

Luke Kelly, MD of The Roald Dahl Literary Estate and Roald Dahl’s grandson, said: “Roald Dahl was passionate about making children into enthusiastic readers for life and that’s exactly what the Summer Reading Challenge does. We are delighted to be joining forces with this year’s reading event which, based on past performance, will engage almost a million children. In the Roald Dahl 100 year, to have The Big Friendly Read happening in libraries throughout the UK is quite literally a dream come true. My grandfather would have been so proud and so supportive of this event.”

Ruth Marriott, CEO SCA Group, said: “We are delighted that our first major event as custodians of Cobbett Hub and Library is to support the Big Friendly Read, Summer Reading Challenge 2016. We look forward to welcoming the younger members of our community and their families to the library. We hope to make them feel that the library is a place that will provide them with great books to read as well as a venue for exciting activities.”

Families can also unlock some digital magic when they download the free Summer Reading Challenge App, which this year will include rare recordings of Roald Dahl sharing his writing tips and reading aloud, all triggered by augmented reality as children collect the cards. Created by Reading Agency sponsor SOLUS, the app will also provide a convenient way to access the Book Sorter, a unique crowd-sourced database of books in user friendly categories that children themselves have rated and added.

The official Big Friendly Read, Summer Reading Challenge 2016 website can be found by clicking here.

The app will be available to be downloaded in July from www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/games