Upper Hutt Libraries celebrates a record-breaking 1,031 percent increase in participation rate and a 3,216 percent increase in completion rate for this year’s summer reading challenge, “The Little, Big and Even Bigger Read”, which ended on 31 January 2023.

509 tamariki and rangatahi participated in “The Little, Big and Even Bigger Read” this summer, compared to the 45 who registered in 2021/2022. Ten percent of the registrations were submitted online. 199 completed their summer reading challenge this year, 2,278 books were read, and 2,638 activities were completed.

“Upper Hutt Libraries had made the summer reading challenge easy to do and easy to understand so my children jumped straight into it from day one. All they had to do was to read books or listen to audiobooks and do an activity outside of reading. The U-PLAY Summer Holiday Events happening around Upper Hutt helped with ideas for some of those activities. They attended ten of the U-PLAY events and added those to their activities in their journals,” shared an Upper Hutt mum whose two children had completed the “Even Bigger Read”.

This year’s summer reading challenge had Hutt City Libraries and Upper Hutt Libraries working in collaboration for the first time to increase participation among tamariki and rangatahi for the summer reading challenge and to promote the message to parents to support the call to prevent summer slide for our tamariki.

Mike Ryan, Director of Community Services said the collaboration between both cities to pool together resources had allowed Upper Hutt Libraries’ staff to focus on spreading key messages to parents and caregivers about why they need to support their summer reading challenge.

“All of our Upper Hutt Libraries staff worked hard as a team to promote ‘The Little, Big and Even Bigger Read’ to all our customers. The Children and Youth Librarians were out on the floor in between meetings and shift rosters to speak to parents about it and staff were even encouraging grandparents to sign up their grandchildren.”

Six staff members also participated in the libraries’ “The Big Read” staff challenge. Tracey Kearns, Heritage and Archives Coordinator, read nine books and did activities like baking Christmas cookies and decorating gingerbread with her children. Kirstie Stevens, Children and Youth Librarian, read four books, took part in an outdoor escape room in Wellington and played “Animal Crossing” with her friends.

Upper Hutt Libraries wants to thank Upper Hutt for their support to help our tamariki and rangatahi take on this year’s summer reading challenge.

Staff are currently working through the prize draw and results will be announced in the week after Waitangi long weekend.

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