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New teen summer reading programme launching soon

Tuesday 16 November 2010, 5:21PM

By Invercargill City Council

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INVERCARGILL

The Invercargill City Libraries is undertaking a new initiative to provide a fun and interactive summer reading challenge for teens aged 15 to 18 years of age.


Outreach Librarian Kirsty Graham said the 15 to 18 age group were too old for the Children’s Summer Reading Programme but were also not really interested in joining the adults book group.


Miss Graham said while visiting Invercargill secondary schools she found that there was a need for programme targeted to teens.


“We decided to form a challenge orientated programme where there are desirable prizes and positive reinforcement for their efforts.


“The challenge is designed to stimulate excitement about reading and illustrate how rewarding reading can be,” Miss Graham said.


Miss Graham said it was important to keep literacy levels of teens peaking throughout their holidays and to promote active minds while away from school.


Pursue 100 emulates a game, race or competition where contestants or participants must gain points via the types of literature they are reading.


When a review is submitted to the Invercargill Public Library or its branch library in Bluff, it will be screened for plagiarism and the appropriate points will be awarded to that challenger.


Once a certain amount of points have been reached over the six week period each participant will be put into a draw, relevant to their points reached, to win a number of prizes that are desirable to the age group targeted.


For the duration of the teen programme Library staff will be in constant contact with the participants via texting and emails in order to send encouragement and support to those involved.


Miss Graham said they are expecting more than 100 teens to sign up to this free competition. All they have to do is read their way to 100 points.


To sign up contact the Library on 211 1444 from December 1 onwards. The official start date is Friday, December 17.