Every year, libraries across North West Leicestershire host a Summer Reading Challenge during the school holidays to keep children engaged in reading and as a great way to provide free entertainment during the six-week break.

So far, over 1770 children across Leicestershire have signed up for the reading challenge, also getting stuck into puzzles and scavenger hunts around the library.

This year's theme is 'Read to the Beat', which celebrates the joy of music and the power it has to move, inspire and connect us.

The library has a curated selection of books on the Read to the Beat theme (Photo: Grace Kennington)

The Reading Agency has joined up with public libraries and Universal Music to create a reading challenge that encompasses the joy of reading with the power and connection of movement and music.

Read to the Beat is being offered across all public and council-run libraries across Leicestershire and Rutland and is free to take part in.

To get started, head to your local library and register for the challenge, borrow two books and receive your introduction booklet, stickers and rewards.

Each book read earns stickers in the booklet and when all six stickers have been collected, participants can take it back to the library to be given a medal and certificate.

advertisement

The challenge is running between Saturday 4 July and Saturday 12 September and has sparked competition between local schools.

Local primary schools compete to get the most stars on their star chart by pupils completing the challenge (Photo: Grace Kennington)

'Schools very much encourage their pupils to take part,' explains Clare Lister, Supervisor at Ashby, Coalville and the mobile library. 'Every pupil that completes it gets to stick a star on their school's star chart.'

Alongside the reading challenge, the library is also hosting events throughout the school holiday to entertain children, including:

• Gig in a Box - 30 July from 2.30pm to 3.30pm - help perform a mini gig
• Read to the Beat craft activities - 4 August from 2.30pm to 3.30pm - drop-in for some fun themed crafts
• Pakistani Truck Art - 13 August from 2.30pm to 3.30pm - bringing together sound, colour and movement

To find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge and other events and activities, drop into your local library.