Making memories and boosting literacy with the Big Read
Published on 05 February 2025
While we were patiently holding out for blue skies and summer sunshine, an amazing 185 local tamariki (kids) and rangatahi (teens) were busy reading, exploring, and logging activities in their Little, Big, and Even Bigger Read journals.
Today we are celebrating an incredible feat by our young readers: 342 journals were completed during our Big Read summer reading challenge in December and January.
That translates to a staggering 1,140 books read, and 1,400 adventures and activities enjoyed over the summer!
What is the Little, Big, and Even Bigger Read?
The Big Read (for short) is our annual summer reading challenge for families and whānau.
We joined Hutt City Libraries in 2022 to make the Big Read a valley-wide programme and to offer our communities a flexible and fun summer challenge, from Akatārawa to Wainuiomata.
Every summer, kids and families can choose from four journals depending on their age group. Each journal is a mix of reading stories (pūrākau) and activities (tākaro), with plenty of suggestions alongside free-choice options to suit different interests and reading levels.
The Big Read is about encouraging reading, imagination, adventure, and fun. There is no set reading time required, and we make all genres and formats count: fiction, nonfiction, comics, eBooks, audiobooks, and many more.
Why summer reading is important
Boosting literacy and keeping our young ākonga (learners) active and creative over the summer is at the heart of why we host the Big Read for families.
The “summer slide” is well documented and researched, and describes the phenomenon of children’s literacy declining during the long summer holidays. This impact can lead to a significant setback in learning, especially for kids who already struggle with literacy.
Not only is the Big Read designed to help prevent the “summer slide” – we also know that summertime is here to make memories together, which is why logging fun activities is part of the challenge.
Ka pai, pānui mai – well done, keep on reading
Thank you to everyone who took part and made reading an adventure this summer!
We are currently contacting participants to share exciting news about their prizes. It wouldn’t be a reading challenge without fantastic prizes waiting at the end, of course.
School may be back, and no matter the weather: keep on reading, and let adventure find you. In your backyard, in your community, and in the pages of a great book.