Caroline Flint MP backs Summer Reading Challenge


26 June 2007

Caroline Flint MP is backing the Big Wild Read, a campaign to get children along to libraries and keep them reading through the long summer holidays.

The Don Valley MP joined the campaign organised by the Reading Agency to encourage children to visit their local libraries during the summer holiday period so they do not lose any reading skills during the break from school teaching.

To support this initiative Caroline Flint will be donating books, courtesy of The Reading Agency's publishing partners, to the new library at the Springwell Centre in Denaby Main.

Caroline said: "I fully support this campaign, and my local libraries, and am delighted to be donating books to support their excellent work. Our libraries and librarians help children get the reading habit early, are a great place to spend time and learn to enjoy books.

"While children are having a great time, they are also reinforcing all the educational achievements in reading. Holidays are a good time to enjoy reading for all of us, and I urge everyone to go along to one of our fabulous libraries to pick up a book this summer."

The campaign is supported by Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls, Libraries Minister Margaret Hodge APPG and Lyn Brown MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Libraries Group.

Every year, more and more children take part in the Summer Reading Challenge, undertaken in partnership with public libraries and supported by children's publishers. This summer a staggering 700 000 children are expected to take part, and an estimated 16 million books will be borrowed.