Mythical Maze is organised by The Reading Agency and your local library. It’s absolutely free to take part. Last year, more than 800,000 children joined in – it’s huge!
The aim of the Challenge is for children to read six or more library books of their choice over the course of the summer and into September. They can read any books they like: fact books, stories, joke books, picture books – audio books and e-books count too! As long as they are borrowed from the library, they all count.
Children sign up at their local library and receive a free poster to start them off. There are scratch-and-sniff stickers and other rewards to collect along the way- all for free! Children who complete the Challenge in Torfaen will also get a free DVD loan, medal and certificate and entry into a prize draw to win a Google Nexus 7 tablet!
Going on holiday? Just take the books with you or download some of the free e-books from welshlibraries.org onto your e-reader or mobile device.
Log on to the Mythical Maze website and your children can keep track of their progress online, rate the books for other readers and get tips on what to read next. This year there’s even an app that brings illustrator Sarah McIntyre’s amazing creatures to life!
The Summer Reading Challenge is great fun and is a highlight of the holiday for thousands of children, but it also helps to ensure their reading skills don’t dip over the school holidays. As one Torfaen parent said of last year’s Reading Challenge: ‘This scheme has made a huge improvement to my 8 year old son’s reading. Since returning to school in September his teacher can’t believe the progress made. He is now actually enjoying reading and asks to read – instead of me having to make him!’
To take part in the Mythical Maze Summer Reading Challenge, call into your local library and pick up a starter pack.
There are also weekly story and craft times in all our libraries to keep the kids amused, just give us a call and book a place.
On Saturday 26 July kids are taking over Cwmbran and Pontypool libraries from 11am until 2pm. Come along and join in all the fun
