Libraries’ Summer Reading Club is a page turner

20 January 2010

Children are notching up an amazing number of  books a week as part of the Christchurch City Libraries’ Summertime Reading Club.

The Summertime Reading Club is a city-wide initiative encouraging children between five and 12 to continue independent reading during the summer break.

The first weekly winner, Sophie Smith, 12, of Waimairi Road, logged in 19 times under the programme (each log-in is six books completed with details provided to the library), taking her total read for that week to more than 110 books. Sophie received a book voucher.

Last week’s winners, the McComish boys —  Rowan (11) Isaac (8) and Matthew (7) — were jointly recognised after completing 66 books since 18 December. The boys, who are also into soccer, tennis, swimming and garden club, received a prize pack of a movie voucher, book voucher and pool passes. The children say a total of 66 books between them is quite normal. They love outdoor activities too, but their favourite pastime is experiencing action, adventure and science-fiction through the pages of a book.

It is exciting to see a family so motivated in their reading, says Pat Street, Christchurch City Libraries Programmes and Learning Manager.

“We would like to see more families enjoying stories together as this develops consistent reading routines with children,” says Ms Street.

Last year club members read more than 2,400 books during the course of the programme. With less than a week to go for this year’s programme, Christchurch City Libraries is hopeful of surpassing that target. The club offers two-for-one pool passes for the first 200 members to send in their reading logs, weekly prize draws, as well as a major draw for an iPod and book prizes sponsored by Barrington Paper Plus for all members at the end of the programme.

The reading incentive programme encourages and rewards school-age children to get excited about reading, says Ms Street.

“It is especially important for beginning readers to continue to practice and develop their newly-acquired skills on a consistent basis.”

Research confirms that students who don't read four or more books over the summer typically score lower or stagnate on reading comprehension tests when they return to school while children who read for pleasure do better at school in all subjects — not just English.

How the Summertime Reading Club works

1. Register online
2. Download a reading log to fill in [PDF]
3. Read six books over summer and enter the details on your log
4. To enter just drop your completed reading log into one of our libraries or post to:
   Julianne Pask
   Summertime Reading Club
   P.O. Box 1466
   Christchurch Mail Centre
   Christchurch 8140
   before 5pm on Friday 22 January 2010 (but after 18 December 2009)
5. Enter as many times as you like!