Summer Reading Challenge 2025

Grow your adventures with Bradford Libraries as we kick start the summer with our ever-popular Summer Reading Challenge. This year the theme is Story Garden and there will be lots of events and activities to support children’s reading skills. Children aged 4 to 12 years can sign up and receive incentives along the way as they read books throughout the summer.

Bradford Libraries will be launching the challenge on 5 July and children can call in to any library across the district to register.

The Summer Reading Challenge is the UK’s biggest reading for pleasure programme for children, presented by The Reading Agency and delivered in partnership with libraries. The Challenge encourages children to keep reading during the school summer holidays. They set a reading goal and can read anything they enjoy!

Each child will receive a Story Garden folder at their local library with stickers to collect; pop badges, and if 6 books are read; a Story Garden Certificate and Medal (all subject to availability). You can register free at any library within the Bradford district.

The official Story Garden Book Collection available in Bradford Libraries was created with the help of reading specialists and book industry experts, who reviewed over 200 publisher submissions and selected the final titles. The booklist features brilliantly diverse titles, encompassing picture books, early readers and middle grade titles and includes several dyslexia-friendly books. The books were chosen to resonate with our story garden theme. With a mix of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and graphic novels, the collection has been carefully curated to engage young minds with the wonders of the great outdoors.

Ooops! We couldn’t fit these in the brochure! Here are some more exciting activities taking place in our libraries to support the Summer Reading Challenge:

Tuesday 29 July
11.30am to 2.30pm
Wyke Library
Teddy Bear Picnic

Thursday 31 July
10am to 12 noon
Ilkley Library
The Arty One – flower bookmarks, stories, rainforest bookmarks

Wednesday 6 August
12.30pm to 1.30pm
Holme Wood Library
Little Holme Bird Craft Session

Friday 8 August
10am to 11am
Manningham Library
Culture Cam - Join us for a hands-on journey into the magic of photography inside a one-of-a-kind caravan darkroom!
Ages 8 to 12 years
Workshop - booking essential

Friday 8 August
12 noon to 1pm
Manningham Library
Culture Cam - Join us for a hands-on journey into the magic of photography inside a one-of-a-kind caravan darkroom!
Ages 8 to 12 years
Workshop - booking essential

Monday 11 August
2pm
Ilkley Library
Teddy Bear Picnic

Wednesday 13 August
12.30pm to 1.30pm
Holme Wood Library
Sonny’s Treasure Hunt Activity

Monday 18 August
10am to 12 noon
Ilkley Library
The Messy One – bird feeders, stories, potato printing, potting up wildflower seedlings

Wednesday 20 August
12.30pm to 1.30pm
Holme Wood Library
We’re going on a bear hunt activity

Friday 23 August
10am to 4pm
Thornton Library
Thornton Street Market and Library Open Day

Wednesday 27 August
12.30pm to 1.30pm
Holme Wood Library
Frog and the wide world junk modelling activity