WREXHAM Council have announced a new reading challenge aimed at children in the area.

The purpose of the challenge is to encourage kids to pick up books and read over the summer when there is a traditional dip in reading due to the summer holidays.

In a statement on their website, Wrexham Council have asked:

“Are you ready to travel across the galaxy on a special reading mission?

“This year you will get to meet the Rockets, a super cool family who live on a satellite station in space and love spending time in the local library on the moon!

“But there is a problem…can you help?

“Books have started to disappear from the Moon Library and soon there won’t be any left. There is a mysterious ship on the radar, maybe the cheeky aliens are behind it!

“Get ready to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge and help the Rockets on their important mission to save these books!

“To get started you will need your special mission folder, which you can pick up at your local library from July 13.

“To save the books and complete your mission you will need to read six books (or more!) over the holiday and visit your library three times after you sign up – twice to pick up your stickers and then, finally, your medal!

“You can read any sort of book, fact or fiction, you can listen to audio books too.

“So, grab your space suit and take a giant leap into the library this summer!

“Visit the Summer Reading Challenge website to keep track of the books you read, write book reviews and enter competitions.

“Now in its 20th year, the Summer Reading Challenge encourages children to read for pleasure in the long summer holidays to avoid the summer reading dip.

“We know that children who read books often at age 10, and more than once a week at age 16, gain higher results in maths, vocabulary and spelling tests at age 16 than those who read less regularly.

“So, don’t wait for the summer, download your eBooks and eAudiobooks now. Visit www.wrexham.gov.uk/online to access you online library.”