The Blue Mountains’ keenest readers were announced this week following the end of the Blue Mountains Library Summer Reading Challenge for 2016/17.
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This year’s challenge saw an impressive 563 children participate, reading 11,220 books.
Deputy mayor Chris Van der Kley and Cr Romola Hollywood took delight in giving prizes to four keen winners: best junior reader - Abigail Dickens; best teen reader - Sophie Connor; encouragement award - Natasha Thompson; and best family reader award - the Hanemann Family.
Blue Mountains branch libraries were inundated in the last two months with children and teenagers borrowing books consistently. Library staff enjoyed the excitement as children returned log sheets in exchange for book vouchers redeemable from The Turning Page Bookshop in Springwood and Megalong Books in Leura.
Cr Van ker Kley said the Blue Mountains Library continues to create an exciting environment for children, “helping to instil the habit of reading and a thirst for knowledge which makes children open to new ideas throughout their lives”.
Over the past nine years the program has seen 80,130 books borrowed for the Summer Reading Challenge with 4467 children participating.
Cr Romola Hollywood said: “I congratulate all the children and young people who took part in the Summer Reading Challenge. As the Vice-President (Metropolitan) of the NSW Public Libraries Association, this program is a terrific example of how our council libraries provide opportunities for all community members, including our youngest citizens, to experience the benefits and joys of reading.
“If the statistics from this program are anything to go by, support for our public libraries has a strong future."