November 17th, 2025Swap screens for books
The state government is giving Victorian schoolkids the opportunity to swap screens for stories these summer holidays, as part of the fifth annual Big Summer Read.
Minister for Local Government Nick Staikos recently visited narrm ngarrgu library in the CBD to launch the statewide reading challenge that aims to combat the “summer slide” – a common reduction in reading time and subsequent loss of literacy skills children experience during the long school holidays.
Victorian children under the age of 18 are eligible to register and track their reading progress through the Big Summer Read website, with digital badges and prizes on offer for participants. As part of the program, parents can register and read to children who can’t read independently yet.
Four winners will each take home a Zoos Victoria family membership, one for each age category, and local libraries from across the state will also award locally sourced prizes to Big Summer Read participants.
The program reinforces the role of public libraries as a vital community resource for early childhood development and lifelong learning throughout adulthood, and was designed to give smaller, rural public library services without an independent summer reading program a way to engage young Victorians over the summer break.
For more info on the Big Summer Read, visit https://readbooks.com.au/bsr
