Children celebrate reading challenge with the Mayor

Photo: Laura Wild

Reading Challenge Awards

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Children from across the borough have celebrated their 'Summer Reading Challenge' with the Mayor and Mayoress of Rochdale.

The children who took part in the reading challenge during the summer break were awarded certificates and a goody bag to recognise their reading achievements.

The budding readers also had the chance to have their photograph taken with the Mayor, Councillor Keith Swift and Mayoress Sue Etchells at the Wheatsheaf Library.

Before presenting the awards the Mayor spoke to the winners and their families, he said: “It is really good to see all the winners here this morning with their mums, dads, grandparents and carers.

“The time and effort that you as parents put in with your children is well recognised, your support is pointing them in the right direction.

“Children are the future of the borough and with them the borough can progress.”

The reading challenge theme this year was ‘Quest Seekers’ and the aim was to make reading fun and exciting for youngsters.

To complete the challenge the children have to read six books throughout the summer holidays.

Community Librarian Suzanne Heslan said: “The quest seekers theme was to make reading adventurous for the children, but also to encourage them to read and stick with education throughout the summer.”

In conjunction with the reading challenge the library gave the youngsters an opportunity to enter a competition by designing their own family shield.

Ms Heslan added: “The aim of the shield was to produce something related to the child’s family and their interests.”

“This year Zanib Ashraf won the award, Zanib managed to include everything we were looking for in the shield.”

The family shields were on display at the awards this morning in a ‘Hall of Fame Gallery’ at the library.

Winners of the Reading Challenge

• James Crompton (11) who won a family day out to York Dungeon.
• Danielle Cain (8) who won a family day out to Leeds Armouries.

‘Design Your Family Shield’ Awards

Winner:

• Zanib Ashraf (age 13) who won an iPod Touch.

Runners-up:

• Eve Whelan (age 10)
• Callum Purcell (age11)

Highly Commended:

• Abigail Heslin (age 10)
• Rebecca Shaw (age 4)
• George Denson (age 5)

Ray Stearn, Children's Services Manager at the Wheatsheaf Library, said: “It has been a lovely morning, a celebration of the whole summer.

“About 2000 children take part but they don’t all achieve six books, of course there is always room for more.”

Caroline Denson’s five year old son took part in the reading challenge this year, Mrs Denson said: “This is the first time George has taken part in the reading challenge, he loves to read and this is something which I would encourage him to do again.”

The library reading challenge is now in its eleventh year, it aims to keep children reading over the summer, ensuring their reading skills are a good standard, in a fun filled way.