The 4-11 year olds had successfully completed the Gadgeteers Young Reading Challenge and had read at least 6 books for pleasure over the summer as part of the seasonal competition.
Libraries all across Cambridgeshire promoted this challenge and encouraged children to join new literary adventures from the comfort of their homes..
Worryingly child literacy rates have dropped over the last 12 years, with one in four primary school students being unable to read to the required standards, highlighting the importance of schemes to help promote reading for pleasure.
Daniel Zeichner MP said: ‘It was a great pleasure to be at the Cambridge Central library. From fantasy to feminism, from Tolkien to Tennyson, from Harry Potter to the Hobbit the UK has a strong literary tradition.
Many famous writers even studied and originated from Cambridge itself.
We all know that reading from a young age develops critical skills for our children. Books open a window into new worlds, and enhance imagination. But with many libraries closing many local families are struggling to find books for their children to read, which makes these initiatives all the more important."
Image: Daniel Zeichner MP and team from the 'Summer Reading Challenge', run by national charity The Reading Agency. Photo Luana Burton.
