Dive into a book this summer, win prizes

THE Victorian government is giving children the opportunity to swap screens for stories these summer holidays, as part of the fifth annual Big Summer Read.

On Monday this week, Minister for Local Government Nick Staikos launch the statewide reading challenge that aims to combat the “summer slide” – a common reduction in reading time and subsequent loss of literacy skills children experience during the long school holidays.

Victorian children under the age of 18 are eligible to register and track their reading progress through the Big Summer Read website, with digital badges and prizes on offer for participants. As part of the program, parents can register and read to children who cannot read independently yet.

Four winners will each take home a Zoos Victoria family membership, one for each age category, and local libraries from across the state will also award locally sourced prizes to Big Summer Read participants.

“We know that young people have a decline in literacy skills over the summer holidays when they’re not engaged in reading, and the Big Summer Read aims to combat this,” Mr Staikos said.

“The Big Summer Read helps to get kids across the state into libraries over the summer holidays by making summer reading fun and rewarding.”

The program reinforces the role of public libraries as a vital community resource for early childhood development and lifelong learning throughout adulthood, and was designed to give smaller, rural public library services without an independent summer reading program a way to engage young Victorians over the summer break.

“The Big Summer Read program supports public libraries across the state, with great prizes on offer for both statewide and local winners,” Public Libraries Victoria chief executive officer Dr Angela Savage said.

For more information on the Big Summer Read, head to readbooks.com.au/bsr