Libraries have re-opened with rules to help keep you safe – go to coronavirus (COVID-19) safety. As well as ordering and renewing library items online, you can use libraries order and collect to ask our staff to choose items.
Reading throughout the summer is very important for children's development – and it's fun! A total of 722,731 children across the UK took part in the 2019 Summer Reading Challenge, including around 3,500 children from Thurrock. In 2020, the Summer Reading Challenge went online due to coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, and many families took part.
Smelly stickers, magnets, medals, certificates, kit bags – the challenge is back!
'Wild World Heroes' is this year's Summer Reading Challenge, which runs from 10 July 2021 to 11 September 2021.
This year's challenge we're be teaming up with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) for a very special nature-themed challenge that will inspire you to stand up for the planet.
Wild World Heroes will feature amazing books, awesome rewards, and plenty of ideas for taking care of our environment.
The Summer Reading Challenge is running across many Thurrock Libraries, although you can also take part online through The Reading Agency: Summer Reading Challenge if you prefer.
Take a trip to Wilderville, where the Wild World Heroes are learning how to make their town a cleaner, greener place for all the people and wildlife that live there. As you read books for the challenge, you'll go exploring all over Wilderville, from the woods to the farm and even the beach.
With your help, the heroes will transform Wilderville into an even cooler place to be, and will discover lots of brilliant books along the way. You can:
Watch our video below to learn more about this year's Summer Reading Challenge.
Books you read for the challenge must be library books, and can include talking books on CD. It does not include e-books or e-audio, however.
We are encouraging written book reviews, drawings, and other artwork to be bought in to our libraries and shown as part of children's inspiration for reading. If you like, after showing it to our staff you can leave it with us so we can display and share them on our Twitter: @thurrocklibrary or Instagram: /thurrocklibraries accounts. If you want to keep it, perhaps after you've shown us, you could share it yourself on social media and tag our accounts.
Sadly this year our staff and volunteers won't be able to have conversations with children in person about their reading. Instead we are offering mini one-to-one online sessions for children who would like to talk with us. These will take place on weekdays from Monday 26 July until Tuesday 31 August 2021.
The number of online sessions is limited and will offered on a first-come, first-served basis. A parent or carer must be present during online sessions, and the link we send you must not be shared with anyone else. Use the email address below to ask for a one-to-one online session.
We encourage all our visitors to continue wearing face coverings when visiting libraries, and to maintain at least 1 metre social distancing. If you are over 16 years-old,please also continue to login via the NHS Test and Trace QR code or sign-in at our library counters.
Our Summer Reading Challenge school shield is awarded to the school that has the most students finishing the challenge in comparison to the number of students who could take part.
In 2019, the shield was won by Woodside Academy, Grays.
You can help your school win the Summer Reading Challenge this year. Every school in Thurrock, whether big or small, has an equal chance to have its name put on the shield and keep it for the year. Good luck to all who take part!
Teachers can take part in their own Summer Reading Challenge too. Go to The Reading Agency: Teachers' Reading Challenge.
