Many thanks to the lovely keen parents who attended our talk in the Library this morning. We could talk for hours about reading for pleasure but it was really interesting to hear what works for you.

Here is our general philosophy on young people’s reading and some of the things we do to promote reading for pleasure:

• Emphasise the importance of free choice in reading material
• Offer a wide and varied book stock including fiction and non-fiction, print and e-books
• Are never judgmental about young people’s choice of reading material
• Acknowledge that reading the newspaper, the BBC News website, a comic, graphic novel, Sports magazine etc are all forms of reading for pleasure
• The Rights of the Reader says it all!
• Competitions – Extreme Reading Photo Comp, Get Caught Reading, World Book Day Opening Lines Competition, author visits
• Tutorial book chats with the LibrariansPeer book recommendations – multiple copies and whole tutor group read and discuss
• 3rd form book and follow up discussions
• Carnegie Book Award Shadowing
• Book Openers on the backs of toilet doors
• ‘Book Chat’ – breaktime book club
• ‘Currently Reading’ signs for staff – to start a reading conversation with pupils, staff and visitors.

What can you and your family do this summer holidays?

• Share book recommendations with your children
• Have a summer family reading club – each member of the family choose a book and all read everybody’s selection
• Take part in the Extreme Reading Competition and tweet or email us your photos
• Take the 6 Book Challenge
• Listen to books and plays on the radio
• Read that book lurking at the bottom of your TBR (to be read) pile!
• Read a book before watching the film
• Challenge your child to read a book outside their normal reading choices and read one of theirs!
• Follow @welly_library and tweet us your book recommendations

We welcome all your suggestions and got some great inspiration from the parents this morning!