The Summer Reading Challenge 2020 - The Silly Squad!

The Summer Reading Challenge starts today and I am so pleased that it's still on! 

This year join the Silly Squad, a madcap gang of animal friends, brought to life by Laura Ellen Anderson of Amelia Fang fame! The theme is humour and silliness, and so it's all about celebrating books that make us laugh! My favourite! All you have to do is sign up (as a child or a parent or carer) online at www.sillysquad.org.uk 

Like usual, the challenge encourages children to read as many books as they can in a set time period, earning badges and achieving goals along the way, except that this time it's all done online. This unfortunately means there will be no access to library books, so what will children be expected to read? Well, your local library service should have a selection of eBooks to choose from, and there are some wonderful platforms that these can be read on. For example I use a great app called Borrowbox, which I would strongly recommend. All you have to do is sign up using your library card and you can start borrowing. You can get both eBooks and audiobooks on Borrowbox, which is brilliant! Children can also re-read books that they already own, so why not get them picking out their favourites and revisiting them! Every book they read needs to be logged on their profile so that it counts towards their Silly Squad journey. 

Today, 5th June, is the start date, and if you're quick you can get in on the launch party action this afternoon on Facebook! Here's the schedule!

4.00pm - Sam & Mark (as seen on CBBC) launch the Summer Reading Challenge 2020 and introduce you to the Silly Squad - telling you how you can sign up and start your seriously silly summer

4.10pm - Comedian, author and presenter, David Baddiel, reads from his children's book The Taylor TurboChaser

4:15pm - Author Gareth P Jones reads from his book Dinosaur Detective: Catnapped! and takes us on a real adventure

4:20pm - Drawing with award-winning author and illustrator Rob Biddulph

4:30pm - Poet and author Joseph Coehlo reads Funny Fish from his book Poems Aloud

4:35pm - President of Libraries Connected, Carol Stump, reads a book from the official 2020 Summer Reading Challenge booklist - You Can't Call an Elephant in an Emergency by Patricia Cleveland-Peck & David Tazzyman

4:40pm - Crafts, colour and creativity with the original queen of colouring, Johanna Basford

4:45pm - Authors Katie and Kevin Tsang read from their book Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Zombies - including some super silly dress up!

4:50pm - Let's Get Silly with longest-serving female BBC Blue Peter presenter and author Konnie Huq

4.55pm - Presenter, author and adventurer, Ben Fogle reads an extract from his Mr Dog book series

5:05pm - The British Library shares content from their Discovering Children's Books website where you can find a whole range of creative activities. In this video, Viviane Schwarz shows you fun ways of developing silly characters

5:10pm - How to Build a Super Silly Reading Den with BBC's Katie Thistleton and Hacker T Dog

5:20pm - Children's author Philip Ardagh reads from his book Bunnies on the Bus

5:25pm - Arts Council England's Director of Libraries, Sue Williamson, reads her favourite poem

5:30pm - Silly Squad draw-along with author and illustrator, Laura Ellen Anderson, who is the Summer Reading Challenge 2020's official illustrator!

5:40pm - Award-winning comedian, actress and writer Samantha Baines reads from her novel Harriet Versus The Galaxy

5:45pm - Konnie Huq gets super silly with the Silly Squad

5:50pm - Shed School Magic with the nation's favourite teacher, Mr Bates

6pm - The nation's favourite comedian and presenter Paul O'Grady will read an excerpt from his favourite children's book, The Borrowers

6:05pm - Author Jennifer Killick reads from her book, Alex Sparrow and the Zumbie Apocalypse and shows us how to do a very silly dance - join in!

6:15pm - Children's author (and game designer!) Gabrielle Kent reads from her book, Knights and Bikes

6:25pm - Actor Owen Teale (Game of Thrones) reads from his favourite book, A Child's Christmas in Wales by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.

6:30pm - Jokes with our Ambassadors! Including Quick Reads 2020 author Milly Johnson, Samantha Baines, and Konnie Huq

6:35pm - Actor and writer Shobna Gulati (Dinner Ladies, Coronation Street) will read Tiny Ant from the Official Book Collection

6.40pm - Author and illustrator Laura Dockrill shares her favourite poems including her own poem My Mum's Growing Down as well as one by Benjamin Zephaniah from Talking Turkeys and a Carol Ann Duffy poem!

6.45pm - It's time to hear the official 'Let's Get Silly!' theme song! Written and performed by Harry Baker and Chris Read

6:50pm - Closing the Launch Party with a bedtime story, actor Charlie Condou (Holby City, Coronation Street) reads This is Gus from the official Summer Reading Challenge book collection

7pm - End

Personally, I'm loving the sound of a draw-along with Rob Biddulph! Has anyone been watching and joining in with Draw with Rob during the lockdown? And Paul O'Grady reading from The Borrowers will no doubt be magical! Plus, you can't have silly without Hacker T. Dog! 

Although it's a real pity that the Summer Reading Challenge wont be taking place in our libraries this year, the online version has a lot of great added extras! For a start it will be running for a much longer period, from June to September! So there is loads of time to get silly! There are also puzzles, games, quizzes, bonus content and an online book discussion forum too! There is even a book sorter to help children choose their next read. So, although it is a little different to what we are used to, this year's Summer Reading Challenge looks set to be a good one! 

I'm really glad they've chosen humour as the focus for this years challenge, I think it's what we all need right now! And on the theme of silliness I'd like to leave you with one of my favourite quotes from the great Roald Dahl, and something we should never forget. 

Thanks for reading, L x