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Summer Reading Challenge 2025
Summer Reading Challenge 2025

Summer Reading Challenge 2025: Story Garden – Running from 21st June to 23rd August 2025.

This summer, we're tapping into a world of imagination through reading, exploring adventure, fantasy and the magical world of storytelling as we celebrate nature and the great outdoors with this year’s Summer Reading Challenge theme – Story Garden!

The Summer Reading Challenge is presented by The Reading Agency and delivered in partnership with libraries.

The Summer Reading Challenge is primarily aimed for children aged 4-11 years, but children of all ages can sign up! We’ll be running a mini challenge for younger children.

Children can set their own reading goal but are encouraged to read 6 books or more to complete the Summer Reading Challenge.

What are the important dates?

  • Sign up form Saturday 21st June.
  • Finish by Saturday 23rd August to complete the Summer Reading Challenge.

We held a launch event in the Drying Green Community Garden at Greenock South West Library (Barr’s Cottage) on Saturday 21st June, with outdoor storytelling, crafts and a character scavenger hunt, as well as an opportunity for children to sign up to the challenge and borrow their first books.

How does it work?

  • All you need to do is visit your local library and tell the staff there you'd like to sign your child up for the challenge. (Children need to be library members to take part in the challenge at the library – it’s super easy to sign up!).
  • Children will receive a sticker booklet on signing up for the challenge and can collect stickers along the way.
  • Read 6 books or more to complete the challenge! Any books borrowed form the library will count towards the challenge. They can explore books from the Story Garden book collection or borrow any books of their choice – picture books, long chapter books, short chapter books, poetry books, joke books, information books, comics and graphic novels!

Our library members can also borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks from our BorrowBox Service, these also count towards the Summer Reading Challenge (for these titles just let the library staff know what titles children have read).

  • All children completing the challenge will receive a certificate, as well as a medal. *Please note that medals are not suitable for under 4’s – under 4’s will receive a gold medal sticker*
  • All children completing the Challenge will also receive an invitation to our celebration event taking place at the Greenock Town Hall in September.
  • Children can help their primary school be in with a chance of winning a fabulous prize! interactive Storytelling visit. The school with the highest number of completers will win a fantastic interactive Storytelling visit for their school.

Children can also take part online through the official Summer Reading Challenge platform where they will find activities games and the book sorter to help find their next read which is linked on this page.

 

Summer Events for Children and Families

Children and families can also participate in wide range of FREE family events that will be on offer across our libraries.

*Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult

Week Beginning 7th July – Drop-in Sessions

  • Monday 7th July from 2-3.30pm – Crafternoon at Greenock Central and Kilmacolm Libraries.
  • Monday 7th July from 5-6.30pm – Silent Disco from 5-6.30pm.
  • Tuesday 8th July from 2-3.30pm – Greenock South West Library (Barr’s Cottage).
  • Tuesday 8th July from 2.30-4.30pm – Family Board Games at Kilmacolm Library (Ages 5+).
  • Wednesday 9th July from 11am-12noon – Story Time at Gourock Library (Ages 3-7).
  • Thursday 10th July from 2-3.30pm – Crafternoon at Port Glasgow Library.
  • Thursday 10th July from 3.30-4.30pm – Lego Club at Greenock South West Library (Duplo for ages 18month+ and Lego for ages 5+).
  • Thursday 10th July from 5-6pm – Lego Club at Greenock Central and Kilmacolm Libraries (Duplo for ages 18month+ and Lego for ages 5+).
  • Friday 11th July from 2-3.30pm – Crafternoon at Gourock Library and Inverkip & Wemyss Bay Library (Inverkip Community Hub).
  • Friday 11th July from 2-4pm – Family Board Games at Port Glasgow (Ages 5+).
  • Friday 11th July from 2.30-3.30pm – Make and Break Lego at Kilmacolm Library (Duplo for ages 18month+ and Lego for ages 5+).
  • Saturday 12th July from 10-12noon – Lego Club at Inverkip & Wemyss Bay Library (10am Duplo for 18months+ and 11am Lego for ages 5+).
  • Saturday 12th July from 11am-12noon – Lego Club at Gourock, Greenock Central and Port Glasgow Libraries (Duplo for ages 18month+ and Lego for ages 5+).
  • Saturday 12th July from 10.30am-12.30pm – Beekeeper Storytime @ Kilmacolm Library (Ages 4+).

Week Beginning 7th July – Bookable Sessions

Booking is required for the following sessions – for more information and to book a FREE place pleased visit our Eventbrite page https://bit.ly/InverclydeLibrariesEventbrite

Please note that some of these events have additional sessions running over the holidays. Details will be listed on Eventbrite – please book session date(s) of your choice.

  • Monday 7th July from 2-4pm – 3D Printing at Port Glasgow Library (Ages 8+).
  • Monday 7th July from 2-4pm – Stop Motion at Gourock (Ages 6+).
  • Tuesday 8th July from 10.30am-12noon – Dungeons and Dragons for Beginners (Ages 8+)
  • Wednesday 9th July from 11am-12noon – Sunflower Stories and Songs (Ages 3-7)
  • Thursday 10th July from 2-4pm – Console Gaming (Xbox & Playstation) at Greenock Central Library (Ages 8+)
  • Friday 11th July from 2-4pm – Makedo at Greenock Central Library (Ages 5+).

Week Beginning 14th July – Drop-in Sessions

  • Monday 14th July from 2-3.30pm – Crafternoon at Greenock Central and Kilmacolm Libraries.
  • Tuesday 15th July from 1-4pm – Jigsaws and Board Games at Greenock Central Library (Ages 4+)
  • Tuesday 15th July from 2-3.30pm – Crafternoon at Greenock South West Library (Barr’s Cottage)
  • Tuesday 15th July from 2.30-4.30pm – Family Board Games at Kilmacolm Library.
  • Wednesday 16th July from 11am-12noon – Storytime Session at Gourock Library (Ages 4-7).
  • Wednesday 16th July from 11am-1pm – Storytime at The Bookshop, Wemyss Bay Station – Rolling Stories(Ages 0-12 Years).
  • Thursday 17th July from 2-3.30pm – Crafternoon at Port Glasgow Library.
  • Thursday 17th July from 3.30-4.30pm – Lego Club at Greenock South West Library (Duplo for ages 18month+ and Lego for ages 5+).
  • Thursday 17th July from 5-6pm – Lego Club at Greenock Central and Kilmacolm Libraries (Duplo for ages 18month+ and Lego for ages 5+).
  • Friday 18th July from 2-3.30pm – Crafternoon at Gourock Library and Inverkip & Wemyss Bay Library (Inverkip Community Hub).
  • Friday 18th July from 2-4pm – Family Board Games at Port Glasgow (Ages 5+)
  • Friday 18th July from 2.30-3.30pm – Make and Break Lego at Kilmacolm Library (Duplo for ages 18 month+ and Lego for ages 5+).
  • Friday 18th July from 2.30-3.30pm – Cress Growing at Greenock South West Library (Ages 4+)
  • Saturday 19th July from 10-12noon – Lego Club at Inverkip & Wemyss Bay Library (10am Duplo for 18months+ and 11am Lego for ages 5+)
  • Saturday 19th July from 11am-12noon – Lego Club at Gourock, Greenock Central and Port Glasgow Libraries (Duplo for ages 18month+ and Lego for ages 5+).

Week Beginning 14th July – Bookable Sessions

Booking is required for the following sessions – for more information and to book a FREE place pleased visit our Eventbrite page https://bit.ly/InverclydeLibrariesEventbrite

Please note that some of these events have additional sessions running over the holidays. Details will be listed on Eventbrite – please book session date(s) of your choice.

  • Monday 14th July from 2-4pm – Makedo at Port Glasgow Library (Ages 5+).
  • Monday 14th July  from 2-4pm – Garden Comic Creations at Greenock South West Library (Barr’s Cottage) – Create a Garden Comic with Inverclyde Libraries and Magic Torch Comics (Ages 8-12).
  • Monday 14th July from 2-4pm – Stop Motion at Gourock Library (Ages 6+).
  • Tuesday 15th July from 11am-12noon – Story Sack Session at Gourock Library (Ages 4-7).
  • Tuesday 15th July from 10:30-12noon - Dungeons and Dragons for Beginners (Ages 8-12)
  • Wednesday 16th July from 2.15-3.15pm – Au-some Bookbug Session at Greenock. Central Library - Story, song and rhymes session tailored for children with additional support needs and their families (Ages 0-7).
  • Thursday 17th July from – 2-4pm - Console Gaming (Xbox & Playstation) at Greenock Central Library (Ages 8+).
  • Friday 18th July from 2-4pm – Makedo at Central Library (Ages 5+).
  • Friday 18th July from 2-4pm – Garden Comic Creations at Greenock South West Library (Barr’s Cottage) – Create a Garden Comic with Inverclyde Libraries and Magic Torch Comics. (Ages 8-12).

Open Book

Open Book
Open Book

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Book your free one-to-one session by calling your local branch, or for further information email library.central@inverclyde.gov.uk
 

  • Central: Friday 11am-12pm. Call 01475 712323.
  • Gourock: Friday 11am-12pm. Call 01475 712340.
  • Port Glasgow: Tuesday 11am-12pm. Call 01475 715629.
  • Kilmacolm: Monday 5pm-6pm. Call 01475 715621.
  • South West: Tuesday 2pm-3pm. Call 01475 715667.