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Summer reading challenge for youngsters launched


By Kyle Ritchie

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Children in Aberdeenshire can now sign up for the region's summer reading challenge.

The initiative was launched on Friday at Inverurie Library and runs until Saturday, August 24.

Last year, more than 4000 children signed up for the challenge, which is organised by the library staff within Live Life Aberdeenshire.

At the launch of the Summer Reading Challenge are (from left): Gerry Stephens, financial director for Mackie’s of Scotland; councillor Anne Simpson, Aberdeenshire Council’s culture and sport sub-committee vice-chairwoman; councillor Gillian Owen, Aberdeenshire Council’s education and children’s services committee chairwoman; councillor Anne Stirling, Aberdeenshire Council’s communities committee chairwoman and author Vivian French.
At the launch of the Summer Reading Challenge are (from left): Gerry Stephens, financial director for Mackie’s of Scotland; councillor Anne Simpson, Aberdeenshire Council’s culture and sport sub-committee vice-chairwoman; councillor Gillian Owen, Aberdeenshire Council’s education and children’s services committee chairwoman; councillor Anne Stirling, Aberdeenshire Council’s communities committee chairwoman and author Vivian French.

It encourages youngsters to read during the summer holidays, with a creative competition running alongside.

Author Vivian French encouraged the children and adults in attendance to take part in the challenge.

Councillor Anne Stirling Aberdeenshire Council’s communities committee chairwoman said: “Completing this challenge is a great achievement for young readers, and the benefits of that will last far beyond the summer.”

Each child taking part receives a collector card to keep track of the books they have read, collecting a sticker for each one and receiving a book prize after reading six books or more.

The children will have the opportunity to do the challenge up to three times with other prizes being available if they do it a second or third time.

A book gift card will be awarded to the Star Reader from each library in Aberdeenshire. The lucky child will be chosen by library staff who have shown the most progress with their reading during the challenge.

This year, the library service is going to award one of these children the title of Aberdeenshire Star Reader and the winner will be awarded a prize donated by Aberdeenshire-based business Mackie’s of Scotland, which will be a £100 book gift card and a year’s supply of Mackie’s ice cream.

For this year’s creative competition, children are invited to design a bookmark with the theme of the love of reading.

Prizes for the creative competition will be awarded to four age group categories – pre-school, P1 to P4, P5 to P7 and S1+.

Bookmarks will be submitted from each branch library with the four designs chosen from these entries being printed and distributed across Aberdeenshire.

All Star Readers and creative competition overall winners will be invited to a special prize giving event taking place on Saturday, September 28 at Woodhill House in Aberdeen.

Committee vice-chairwoman councillor Iris Walker said: “Good luck to all our young readers this year, may you go on to enjoy a lifetime of reading for pleasure.”

For more information about this year’s Summer Reading Challenge visit https://www.livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk/libraries/


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