CHILDREN and young adults can win prizes for reading and listening to audiobooks during the summer holidays thanks to the BIG Summer Read, with entries closing Friday, January 31, 2025.
Open to people aged five to 18-years-old, everyone who reads 10 books or for 10 hours goes into the running for the prize draw.
Swan Hill Regional Library is operating their own competition alongside the national ReadBooks program, so there’s double the chance for prizes.
Libraries manager Camille Cullinan said that BIG Summer Read is a way for children to maintain or sometimes even improve their reading during their long break.
“We’re adding eBooks and audiobooks this year because it opens the challenge up to more children in more places, because children can access their books anywhere on a device,” she said.
“The challenge now includes audiobooks and the time spent reading or listening, instead of just the number of books read.
“This encourages families to listen to books together, makes reading more accessible, and opens readers up to a broader range of words.
“With audiobooks, readers have the chance to expand their vocabulary beyond their current reading level.”
Readers can register at Swan Hill Library or on their outreach vehicle Libby and collect their BIG Summer Read reading log or starter pack.
To enter for the prize draw, return a completed reading log to the library or Libby by Friday, January 31.
Each completed reading log is one entry to the prize draw.
The major prize draw will be held at the library Friday 4pm, February 7.
The national ReadBooks BIG Summer Read competition is at readbooks.com.au/bsr
