'Book Buddies' keeps children reading in summer holidays

Jersey Library has had a successful summer of reading when it comes to the young island community, with the holiday reading challenge and Book Buddies encouraging thousands of children to dive into a book.

The Book Buddies scheme has been able to continue over the summer holidays with help from extra funding from the Reading Agency.

Children from two primary schools just outside of town, Samares and Grands Vaux, have been catching a minibus once a week, so they have access to the library.

They then have one-to-one reading sessions with trained volunteers from Every Child Our Future.

One 8-year-old girl who has been taking part in the reading programme, Scarlett, has been telling Channel 103 about her favourite books and her experience:

What types of books have you been reading this summer?

"I've been reading lots of fact books and animal books."

What is the best book you've read so far?

"Probably the capybara one that I read a few minutes ago.

"There are loads of different facts about capyaras and how some animals would eat them ,and then other times animals would hang out with them.

"That was probably my favourite one."

Do you think reading will help you in the future?

"Yeah, because maybe I will be a vet and I need to learn different things about the animals, or I might work at a zoo and I might need to learn how to keep the animals healthy.

Will you tell your friends to come to the library more after spending so much time here over the summer?

"Yeah! It's really fun!"

Chief Librarian Edward Jewell believes the volunteers from the charity have played a key part in keeping the sessions running.

"I think just sitting here today in a busy, vibrant children's library has made a real difference.

"It's been so lovely seeing those relationships building with the children who are coming in, to keep their reading going strong all the way through the summer holidays."

One of the volunteers, Julie Mesny says it is amazing seeing the smiles on the children's faces as they come into the library.

"The librarians are really helpful, so if the children change their minds after 10 or 15 minutes, you can go and find a new book, and they're carrying on their reading experiences, and there are lovely gifts for them.

"It's been really nice seeing them get their certificates and their badges.

"They love it! They really enjoy it!"

She continues to say it is extremely important for children to implement reading into their lives:

"It's part of your life, it's part of your learning, it's lifelong learning.

"If you start early, they'll enjoy books and pass them on to the next generations, too.

"They can go home and say what they've read about to brothers and sisters, so hopefully it makes them want to think about reading and learning."