Young bookworms are being encouraged to sign up to this year’s Gadgeteers Summer Reading Challenge and discover science and innovation in the world around them.

Children can take part in the challenge by visiting their local library 3 times over the summer holiday and reading 6 different books.

Along the way, they will collect fun rewards and goodies and everyone completing the challenge will receive a certificate and an opportunity to take part in competitions to win a £20 gift voucher. 

To support the challenge, Wolverhampton’s libraries will be hosting over 50 free events over the next few weeks.

Activities range from story and craft sessions at Finchfield, East Park, Whitmore Reans, Low Hill, Penn and Long Knowle libraries, to interactive science workshops with FizzPop and digital sessions at Central, Spring Vale, Ashmore Park, Warstones and Wednesfield libraries and the Bob Jones Community Hub. All events are free to library members but places are limited so must be booked in advance. 

Central, Tettenhall and Penn libraries will be celebrating Harry Potter’s birthday with the welcome return of Professor Calculus Black’s Wizard School on Saturday 30 July. Fancy dress is optional but tickets are essential – please call the library to book in advance.

And Central and Pendeford libraries will be hosting Creative Writing workshops with Explore Learning on 11 and 16 August respectively. To celebrate the Gadgeteers Summer Reading Challenge event, young readers are being challenged to come up with a new invention – entries are in the form of a written ‘pitch’ to the libraries’ very own Dragons Den.

For a full list of what’s on where, please visit Yo! Wolverhampton Young Opportunities, contact your local library or go to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram

The Summer Reading Challenge continues until 5 September, 2022 and is suitable for children aged 4 to 12. To join, register at your local library – details at Libraries - or online at Summer Reading Challenge 2022 . 

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "Reading not only helps children to develop their imagination but gives them essential skills for adulthood.

“We have been supporting the Summer Reading Challenge for well over a decade and it is always very popular with young bookworms and their families, so grab your packs and give it a go."

It's free to join Wolverhampton's libraries. For more information, please visit Libraries

The Summer Reading Challenge is organised by The Reading Agency and encourages children to read books throughout the summer holidays.