What's this year's challenge?
Dive into a magical world where stories grow with the Story Garden Summer Reading Challenge!
With stunning artwork by illustrator Dapo Adeola, this years Challenge runs from 5th July to 6th September and invites children to discover reading, meet magical creatures, earn rewards and explore the magic where stories and nature meet
With stunning artwork by illustrator Dapo Adeola, this years Challenge runs from 5th July to 6th September and invites children to discover reading, meet magical creatures, earn rewards and explore the magic where stories and nature meet
How to get involved
A Summer of Fun Activities
As well as joining in with the Summer Reading Challenge, you can also take part in fabulous, fun and free Story Garden themed activities at your local library this summer. Follow the Jump to links below to find out what's on when or read our handy FAQs.
Boston Library
- Saturday 5th July, 10am - 12noon. Join up and make your own nature Zine.
- Wednesday 23rd July, 10am - 12noon. Make a nature kaleidoscope.
- Wednesday 30th July, 10am - 12noon. Make a Sunflower.
- Wednesday 6th August, 10am - 12noon. Make bunting for your garden or room.
- Wednesday 13th August, 10am - 12noon. Decorate a pot to sow cress seeds in.
- Wednesday 20th August, 10am - 12noon. Make a bug suncatcher.
- Wednesday 27th August, 10am - 12noon. Make a moving woodpecker puppet.
- Saturday 20th September, 10am - 12noon. Join us for a tea party to celebrate the end of the Challenge.
There's no need to book, just drop in and join in the fun.
To find out more, email the Boston Library team on boston.library@gll.org
Gainsborough Library
- Saturday 5th July, 9am - 1pm. Join up and make your own nature Zine.
- Friday 25th July, 10.30am - 11.30am. Design your own nature canvas bag.
- Friday 1st August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Sunflower planting and Suncatcher crafting.
- Friday 8th August, 10am - 12noon. Join Ally Pally Arts and create a Story Explorer Nature Journal.
- Friday 15th August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Make a Fairy Garden and decorate pebbles.
- Friday 22nd August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Make a bug hotel and creeping caterpillar.
- Friday 29th August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Create a bird picture collage with local artist Heather Streatfield.
- Thursday 11th September, 3.45pm - 4.30pm. Collect your certificate and meet local children's author Bethany Walker.
There's no need to book, just drop in and join in the fun.
To find out more, email the Gainsborough Library team on gainsborough.library@gll.org
Grantham Library
- Saturday 5th July, 11am - 12.30pm. Join up and make your own nature Zine.
- Friday 25th July, 10.30am - 12noon. Nature pebble painting.
- Thursday 31st July, 2.30pm - 4pm. Sunflower and suncatcher crafting.
- Tuesday 5th August, 2pm - 3.30pm. Flower crafting to help create a library garden.
- Tuesday 12th August, 11am - 12.30pm. Make a fairy garden or elf house.
- Wednesday 20th August, 2pm - 3.30pm. Bug crafting and meet children's author Mary Auld, author of The Science Club Investigates, Start Small Think Big and many more.
- Thursday 28th August, 2.30pm - 4pm. Make a bird feeder, cheeky parrot or feathered friend.
- Saturday 13th September, 11am - 3pm. Collect your certificate and medal and pose proud in our library garden arch.
There's no need to book, just drop in and join in the fun.
To find out more, email the Grantham Library team on grantham.library@lincolnshire.gov.uk
Horncastle Library
- Saturday 5th July, 10am - 12noon. Join up and make your own nature Zine.
- Friday 25th July, 10am - 12noon. Make fabulous felt flowers.
- Thursday 31st July, 10am - 12noon. Make a dazzling suncatcher.
- Thursday 7th August, 10am - 12noon. Create your own fairy house.
- Thursday 14th August, 2pm - 4pm. Make a wildflower seed bomb.
- Thursday 21st August, 10am - 12noon. Make a bug hotel.
- Thursday 28th August, 10am - 12noon. Make a bird feeder.
- Thursday 11th September, 4pm - 5.30pm. Celebrate finishing the Challenge and collect your certificate and medal.
Spaces for activities are limited so please reserve your childs place with the Horncastle Library team by emailing horncastle.library@gll.org
Lincoln Central Library
- Saturday 5th July, 9.30am - 2.30pm. Join up, make your own nature Zine and take part in workshops with our Lincolnshire GLL Literary Foundation authors.
- Thursday 24th July, 10.30am - 11.30am. Help us create a nature collage on the Activity Room wall.
- Thursday 31st July, 10.30am - 11.30am. Suncatcher crafting.
- Thursday 7th August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Help us create a nature collage on the Activity Room wall.
- Thursday 14th August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Make a fairy or pixie plant pot to plant your own seed in and decorate garden pebbles.
- Thursday 21st August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Make a bug hotel.
- Thursday 28th August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Create a parrot pal and bird feeder.
- Saturday 20th September, 11am - 12.30pm. Collect your certificate and medal and meet local children's authors Helen Hancocks and Mary Auld.
There's no need to book, just drop in and join in the fun.
To find out more, email the Lincoln Central Library team on lincoln.library@gll.org
Long Sutton Library
- Saturday 5th July, 10am - 12noon. Join up and make your own nature Zine.
- Monday 21st July, 2.30pm - 3.30pm. Make your own easy to fly kite.
- Monday 28th July, 2.30pm - 3.30pm.Create a nature themed suncatcher.
- Monday 4th August, 2.30pm - 3.30pm. Make a plant pot and sow some herb seeds.
- Monday 11th August, 2.30pm - 3.30pm. Make a garden fit for a fairy.
- Monday 18th August, 2.30pm - 3.30pm. Create a pebble bug.
- Tuesday 26th August, 2.30pm - 3.30pm. Make a flying bird mobile.
- Monday 8th September, 3.45pm - 4.30pm. Celebrate finishing the Challenge with us and collect your certificate and medal.
There's no need to book, just drop in and join in the fun.
To find out more, email the Long Sutton Library team on longsutton.library@gll.org
Louth Library
- Saturday 5th July, 9am - 1pm. Join up and make your own nature Zine.
- Tuesday 22nd July, 10am - 12noon. Meet Buzzy Bees with Louise and make a Bee mobile.
- Friday 1st August, 10am - 12noon. Sunflower and Suncatcher crafting.
- Saturday 9th August, 10am - 12noon. Make a wormery with Ann Dale.
- Monday 11st August, 10am - 12noon. Fairies, Pixies and Elves, with special guest Fairy Nuff!
- Tuesday 19th August, 10am - 12noon. Ugly Bug Ball.
- Wednesday 27th August, 10am - 12noon. Rocking Robin bird boxes and Woodpeckers.
- Tuesday 9th September, 3.45pm - 4.30pm. Collection your certificate and make a seed bomb for your garden.
Spaces for activities are limited so please reserve your child's place with the Louth Library team by emailing louth.library@gll.org
Mablethorpe Library
- Saturday 5th July, 9am - 1pm. Join up and make your own nature Zine.
- Thursday 24th July, 10.30am - 11.30am. Pop-up pets, animals masks and origami.
- Thursday 31st July, 10.30am - 11.30am. Make pop-up sunflowers and suncatchers.
- Wednesday 6th August, 10.30am - 12noon. Create nature themed artworks to decorate two beach huts at NT Sandilands.
- Wednesday 13th August, 10.30am - 12noon. Make your own garden and decorate pebbles.
- Monday 18th August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Craft a bug friend and look at them under a microscope.
- Thursday 28th August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Create a feathered friend, a dotty view finder and a feeder for your gardens birds.
- Thursday 18th September, 4pm - 5.30pm. Join us for a teddy bears picnic to celebrate the end of the Challenge and collect your certificate and medal.
There's no need to book, just drop in and join in the fun.
To find out more, email the Mablethorpe Library team on mablethorpe.library@gll.org
Market Rasen Library
- Saturday 5th July, 10am - 1pm. Join up and make your own nature Zine with the brilliant Ally Pally Arts as part of Wolds WordFest.
- Wednesday 23rd July, 2pm - 3pm. Magical bean adventures and castles in the air with the "Broadbean" Theatre!
- Wednesday 30th July, 2pm - 3pm. Celebrate the summer with sunflowers and suncatcher crafts.
- Wednesday 6th August, 2pm - 3pm. Create flower power portraits and vases of blooms as we celebrate Flower week.
- Wednesday 13th August, 2pm - 3pm. Fairies, Pixies and Elves with special guest Fairy Nuff!
- Wednesday 20th August, 2pm - 3pm. his week it's bugs galore! Create a bug box habitat and a giant snail collage.
- Wednesday 27th August, 2pm - 3pm. Go exploring with your dotty nature viewfinder and you might find tropical parrots!
- Friday 12th September, 3.30pm - 4.30pm. Celebrate finishing the Challenge and collect your certificate.
Spaces for activities are limited so please reserve your childs place with the Market Rasen team by emailing market_rasen.library@gll.org
Skegness Library
- Saturday 5th July, 10am - 12noon. Join up and make your own nature Zine.
- Thursday 24th July, 10.30am - 11.30am. Make a nature collage.
- Thursday 31st July, 10.30am - 11.30am. Make sunflowers and suncatchers.
- Thursday 7th August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Create a nature greetings card.
- Thursday 14th August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Make your own fairy garden.
- Thursday 21st August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Make a pebble bug.
- Thursday 28th August, 10.30am - 11.30am. Make a pretty parrot and a dotty view finder.
- Saturday 6th September, 10am - 11am. Celebrate the end of the Challenge and collect your certificate and medal.
Spaces for activities are limited so please reserve your childs place with the Skegness Library team by emailing skegness.library@gll.org
Sleaford Library
- Saturday 5th July, 9am - 1pm. Join up and make your own nature Zine.
- Thursday 24th July, 2.30pm - 4pm. Make a dinosaur living plant terrarium.
- Thursday 31st July, 2.30pm - 4pm. Make a suncatcher and a sunflower pot.
- Thursday 7th August, 2.30pm - 4pm. Clay leaf printing and painting.
- Thursday 14th August, 2.30pm - 4pm. Make a fairy garden and decorate pebbles.
- Thursday 21st August, 2.30pm - 4pm. Make moving caterpillars and bug houses.
- Thursday 28th August, 2.30pm - 4pm. Make parrot pal and bird feeder.
- Saturday 20th September, 9am - 1pm. Celebrate finishing the Challenge and collect your certificate and medal.
Spaces for activities are limited so please reserve your childs place with the Sleaford Library team by emailing sleaford.library@gll.org
Spalding Library
- Saturday 5th July, 10am - 12noon. Join up and make your own nature Zine.
- Thursday 24th July, 10am - 2pm. Make a kite and windmill for your garden.
- Thursday 31st July, 10am - 2pm. Make sunflowers and suncatchers.
- Thursday 7th August, 10am - 2pm. Make a Venus Fly trap and a cress caterpillar.
- Thursday 14th August, 10am - 2pm. Make your own mini garden and decorate pebbles.
- Thursday 21st August, 10am - 2pm. Make a creepy crawly hand puppet and a cool dragon fly.
- Thursday 28th August, 10am - 2pm. Create a parrot pal and a birds nest.
- Saturday 20th September, 10am - 12noon. Celebrate the end of the Challenge at our tea party.
There's no need to book, just drop in and join in the fun.
To find out more, email the Spalding Library team on spalding.library@gll.org
Stamford Library
- Saturday 5th July, 9am - 4pm. Join up and decorate your own nature Zine.
- Thursday 24th July, 10am - 11.30am. Make a dream catcher and learn to identify trees by their leaves.
- Tuesday 29th July, 10am - 11.30am. Make a sunflower and suncatcher.
- Tuesday 5th August, 10am - 11.30am. Help create a day and night time animal collage to display in the library.
- Tuesday 12th August, 10am - 11.30am. Make a mini garden and decorate a pebble pet.
- Tuesday 19th August, 10am - 11.30am. Make a bug hotel and creeping caterpillar.
- Tuesday 26th August, 10am - 11.30am. Make a parrot pal and bird feeder.
- Saturday 13th September, 2pm - 3pm. Celebrate finishing the Challenge and collect your certificate from our special guest.
There's no need to book, just drop in and join in the fun.
To find out more, email the Stamford Library team on stamford.library@gll.org
Woodhall Spa Library
- Saturday 5th July, 10am - 1245pm. Join up and make your own nature Zine.
- Saturday 26th July, 10am - 11.45am. Nature weaving and nature snap.
- Tuesday 29th July, 2pm - 3.45pm. Make sunflowers and suncatchers.
- Tuesday 5th August, 2pm - 3.45pm. Make pop-up rabbits and help create an animal themed collage to display in the library.
- Tuesday 12th August, 2pm - 3.45pm. Make your own fairy garden and decorate pebbles.
- Tuesday 19th August, 2pm - 3.45pm. Make bug houses and a moving caterpillar.
- Tuesday 26th August, 2pm - 3.45pm. Bird feeders and dotty view finders.
- Thursday 11th September, 3.45pm - 4.30pm. Celebrate the end of the Challenge and collect your certificate and medal.
Spaces for activities are limited so please reserve your childs place with the Woodhall Spa Library team by emailing Woodhall_Spa.library@gll.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can take part?
The Summer Reading Challenge is open to children ages 4-11 and encourages them to continue reading throughout the summer holidays.
The Mini Challenge is open to children aged 3 years and younger.
Where can I take part?
You can take part in the Summer Reading Challenge at any of our core libraries in, Boston, Bourne, Gainsborough, Grantham, Horncastle, Lincoln, Long Sutton, Louth, Mablethorpe, Market Rasen, Skegness, Sleaford, Spalding, Stamford and Woodhall Spa.
Some of the Community Hubs in Lincolnshire also run the Challenge, so if you can't get to a core library, you can also join in at the following Hubs: Alford, Birchwood, Boultham, Bracebridge (Bridge Church), Bracebridge Heath, Branston, Burgh le Marsh, Caistor, Cherry Willingham, Crowland, Donington, Holbeach, North Hykeham, Pinchbeck, Ruskington, Saxilby, Scotter, Spilsby, Waddington and Welton. Please note that prizes may differ from those listed for core libraries, contact the Community Hubs direct for more details.
Some of the Community Hubs in Lincolnshire also run the Challenge, so if you can't get to a core library, you can also join in at the following Hubs: Alford, Birchwood, Boultham, Bracebridge (Bridge Church), Bracebridge Heath, Branston, Burgh le Marsh, Caistor, Cherry Willingham, Crowland, Donington, Holbeach, North Hykeham, Pinchbeck, Ruskington, Saxilby, Scotter, Spilsby, Waddington and Welton. Please note that prizes may differ from those listed for core libraries, contact the Community Hubs direct for more details.
How many books do I have to read?
When you sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge at your local library you'll choose your reading goal. We recommend reading (or sharing, for younger ones) 6 books or more throughout the summer.
You can choose which books you read but ideally, you'll read books from the library. They can be physical books, eBooks and audio books, they all count. However, if you already own a book that would be appropriate for the Challenge you can read that as well.
You can choose which books you read but ideally, you'll read books from the library. They can be physical books, eBooks and audio books, they all count. However, if you already own a book that would be appropriate for the Challenge you can read that as well.
What are the prizes for completing the challenge?
For every 2 books you read you'll receive a set of stickers for your collectors folder and a prize.
- for 2 books you'll receive a Story Garden bookmark
- for 4 books a packet of cut and come again lettuce seeds and a wooden marker you can decorate to mark where you plant them in your own garden or window box.
- and for 6 books you'll receive a certificate and your very own medal!
