What age to children have to be to take part?

All children can take part but it’s primarily aimed at 2-12 year olds

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Do I need a library card to take part in the challenge?

Yes, you or your child would need to have a library card to take part. This is so you can keep a record of their progress. We encourage children to use their own library cards for the challenge, however parents or guardians can use their own library card if they wish.

Please note that if you have multiple children taking part in the challenge, you will need to record their progress on separate library cards.

Joining the library is free, and you can sign up for a library card by:

• visiting any library
• signing up online

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Which libraries take part?

All libraries across Suffolk will be taking part. You can sign up for the challenge at any of them.

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How can children take part?

From 13 July children can visit any library in Suffolk to sign up for Reading Quest and get their free creative map of Suffolk. The map has been commissioned from local Suffolk artist, Anna Lindsay and it highlights the local myths and legends that Suffolk is widely known for as well as a few funny additions.

Children will be encouraged to take part in activities and experiences across the summer rather than read an expected number of books. These experiences range from ‘reading under the covers with a torch’ to ‘choosing a recipe book and making something together as a family’. There are dozens of ideas and challenges to choose from and we hope families will actively engage with reading for pleasure together.  

Children can bring their maps back to the library to share what they’ve read and what activities they’ve completed with weekly prizes/rewards on offer.

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When does it start?

Maps will be available from 13 July and like the reading challenge, Reading Quest will run during the summer holidays and will formally finish on 13 September. Children can take part at any time during the school holidays.

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Is Reading Quest based on the Summer Reading Challenge?

Sort of! The Summer Reading Challenge has been run by Suffolk Libraries every summer for many years using themes and resources provided by the Reading Agency. From 2024 we’ve decided to do things a bit differently and use a slightly different format which we hope will engage even more children and be something families can enjoy together. It still has the same overall aim – to help children maintain their literacy levels over the summer holidays.

We wanted to create something a bit more ‘Suffolk’ so the Reading Quest is based on a big map of the county which highlights some local landmarks and stories from the past.

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Will volunteers still be supporting Reading Quest?

Yes, like the reading challenge volunteers will play a big part in supporting library staff by spending time listening to children talking about their quest!

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Can children on Mobile Library routes take part?

Children can take part in the Reading Quest by borrowing books from our mobile libraries, however unfortunately due to time constraints with the mobile library timetable, we aren’t able to deliver the challenge in the same way our static libraries can. As some mobile libraries only visit rural areas once every four weeks, children may have to wait for the next visit before they can borrow more books and log their reading progress and activities.  

Children can either:

• Visit a static library to speak to a volunteer about their reading activities, have their progress logged and collect their weekly rewards
• Visit their local mobile library where the staff can track your child's reading progress on our library system and offer book suggestions whilst the vehicle is at the stop. Once your child has completed their Reading Quest, we can arrange to have a medal and certificate sent out to them via Royal Mail.