At Longthorpe Primary Academy, we want to encourage a love of reading. Throughout their time at Longthorpe, children can take part in the 25 Book Challenge.

What is the 25 Book Challenge?

Each year group has been set a challenge to read between 20 and 25 recommended books for their age group across the year. Any child that manages to read between this number, will receive a special badge to collect for each year at Longthorpe, each year a different colour - and an extra special prize may be awarded for those who collect the whole rainbow! This is to encourage more reading for pleasure and to get the children ‘hooked’ on reading at a stage in their learning that is crucial. We all know that reading is pivotal in all subjects and therefore children who read more will do better overall and will have better mental health. Imagine a child leaving primary school having experienced or read at least 20 books a year over the 7 years they are in school – that is 140 top quality books by classic and modern authors.

What does my child need to do?

To get their badge for the year, they need to read between 20 and 25 of the books from their year group list (see below). There are copies of books in school for children to borrow, but they are also encouraged to use their local library, or perhaps go for a hunt in the nearest charity shop!

Once children have finished a book, they will need to show their teacher they have read it by completing a small task - a list of ideas is included in their reading passport and linked below, but they are also welcome to come up with their own ideas to evidence their reading. All we ask is that they do not choose the same task for every book, but rather find a selection of different things they can do to show they have read their book. These tasks can be either brought into school or uploaded to Seesaw, and the class teacher will then stamp their passport for each book read. 20-25 stamps = one 25 Book Challenge Badge!

We will be presenting certificates and badges in a special assembly to celebrate the children who achieve the challenge each year.

What if my child cannot read the books listed for their year group?

As an inclusive school, we would like to ensure that all children have the opportunity to achieve this award. We appreciate that some children may find the challenge books listed for their year group to be inaccessible. If this is the case for your child, please speak to their class teacher.