Is your child a fan of all things furry, scaly and slippery? Then Halton Borough Council has a challenge for you!

The borough’s libraries are calling for children to sign up to read six books this summer as part of Animal Agents, the Summer Reading Challenge 2017.

The Summer Reading Challenge asks four-to-11 year olds to borrow and read any six library books during the summer holidays, a time when children’s literacy skills traditionally dip.There’s also a mini read for under fours.

This year’s theme is Animal Agents, based on a detective agency staffed by all kinds of clever animals – furry, scaly and slippery – who are out to crack a case at the library with a little help from their friends.

Tony Ross, the UK’s best-selling children’s illustrator (creator of the Little Princess books, illustrator of the Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon, and of books by David Walliams and Claire Balding), has created this year’s exclusive artwork.

To take part in Animal Agents, all children need to do is to head to their local library where they will be given a collector folder to keep a record of their reading journey.

As children read at least six library books over the summer, they collect stickers which will help them crack the clues and help the Animal Agents find out what’s really been going on behind the scenes! Animal Agents launched in all Halton Libraries on Monday 17 July and runs until Saturday 9 September.

Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board Member for Libraries, Cllr Phil Harris, said: “There’s a whole programme of events and activities planned at Widnes and Halton Lea libraries for families over the summer to celebrate the Summer Reading Challenge, including the Reading Riot and Halton Libraries’ Spy School.

Just contact your local library or go to https://library.haltonbc.info/ to find out how to take part. “

Last year 1,063 children signed up for the challenge let’s see if we can do even better this year