Young readers get into the rhythm with Summer Reading Challenge 2026

Article date: 25 September 2026

The Mayor of St Helens, Councillor Stephen Little, alongside fellow councillors, presented certificates to children following the successful conclusion of the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge.

Organised by The Reading Agency in partnership with local libraries, the challenge encourages children aged four to 11 to continue reading throughout the school summer holidays.

This year's theme, 'Read to the Beat', inspired children to discover the joy of reading through stories, music and rhythm. To launch the programme, families were treated to a special performance from the David Gibbs Family Jukebox, helping to kick-start a summer packed with reading and creative activities.

Libraries across the borough, together with outreach teams, hosted a wide range of themed events and activities throughout the summer to encourage children to sign up and get involved.

A total of 1,136 children took part in this year's challenge, reading books from the official Summer Reading Challenge collection, which featured 55 titles catering for a range of reading abilities, including picture books, early readers, middle-grade fiction and dyslexia-friendly titles.

Over the summer, 14,113 junior books were taken out across St Helens Libraries, while 1,480 children's e-books, e-audiobooks and e-magazines were borrowed from libraries' digital service, Borrowbox.

As 2026 is also the National Year of Reading, every child who completed the challenge was entered into a special prize draw, thanks to generous donations from local partners.

The prizes include family tickets for Arts in Libraries family performances, Cineworld and Knowsley Safari Park, with winners to be announced soon.

Adding an extra layer of excitement this year, St Helens Libraries also introduced a competition between local schools to see which had the highest percentage of pupils taking part in the challenge.

The inaugural School Champion title was awarded to St James' CE Primary School, whose pupils achieved the highest participation rate in the borough. The school will receive a trophy to proudly display in recognition of its achievement.

The Summer Reading Challenge continues to support children in maintaining reading habits during the long summer break, helping to improve literacy, build confidence and foster a lifelong love of books. Outreach sessions were held across the borough to ensure children and families had easy access to books and library services throughout the challenge.

Councillor Stephen Claybrook, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Heritage, said:

"It's fantastic to see so many children across the borough embracing this year's Summer Reading Challenge and discovering the enjoyment that reading can bring.

"The 'Read to the Beat' theme, alongside the fantastic programme of events organised by our library staff and outreach teams, has helped to keep reading fun, accessible and engaging for families throughout the summer.

"I'd like to thank everyone involved in delivering the challenge, as well as our generous prize donors and local schools for supporting the initiative. Congratulations to all of the children who took part, and particularly to St James' CE Primary School for becoming our first School Champion.

"The challenge continues to play an important role in encouraging children to read for pleasure, develop their confidence and make the most of our excellent library service."

Through initiatives such as the Summer Reading Challenge, St Helens Borough Council is committed to ensuring that young people across the borough have opportunities to read, learn and thrive, both in libraries and through its outreach programme.

For more information about St Helens Libraries, including events, activities and services available across the borough, visit www.sthelens.gov.uk/libraries.