Essex Libraries’ Winter Reading Challenge returns for another year later this month.

Around 5,000 children took part last year and it is hoped this year’s event – run in partnership with Penguin books and the Essex Year of Reading – will attract even more participants.

This year’s challenge will see children and young people tasked with completing challenges in an interactive booklet to help Lyra the penguin find out how others celebrate winter.  

There are prizes for all that finish the challenge, as well as a special prize to those that finish early.

Running from Saturday 26 November to Saturday 28 January, the challenge aims to encourage a love of reading and support literacy skills. Readers can sign up for the challenge by visiting Brightlingsea or any other Essex library.

One of this year’s challenges is to write a book review and children are also being encouraged to enter their reviews into the latest Essex Year of Reading competition.

A selection of entries will be included in a new Essex Year of Reading book which will be published next year to create a legacy of the campaign. More information can be found here: https://www.essex.gov.uk/news/calling-all-budding-writers