Read books, explore the city, win prizes!
The Summer Reading Adventure for Kids runs from 1 December 2022 – 31 January 2023 for children aged 5-13. Read books; write, draw or film reviews; and complete quests to earn all kinds of awesome goodies — and you’ll still be home in time for tea! Adults and teens can also take part in their own Summer Reading Adventures — read our News blog for all the info.
Pick up the Adventurer’s Guide from your local library and visit our Summer Reading Adventure website to pre-register and start logging your reading and adventures today.
Read on to find out more!
How to play
Your first stop will be to pick up a copy of the Adventurer’s Guide:
Then, head over to our Summer Reading Adventure website to get started. You can take part in the Adventure in three different ways:
- Log your reading — tell us how many books you’ve read, or how long you’ve spent reading, and you’ll earn tickets that you can cash in to get a chance to win the Grand Prize of your choosing! (ooh, ahh). If you need help finding books to read, here are some great Summer Reading booklists we’ve put together for you.
- Write, draw, or film book reviews — get creative and tell us what you thought about the books you’ve read, and you’ll earn free ice-cream from Ben & Jerry’s, books, stationery, and other goodies. Only books that you read between 1 December and 31 January will count!
- Complete challenges — choose your own adventure and complete up to three unique quest lines that get you to venture out into the city, check out our libraries, and explore your own back yard, all while earning fabulous spot prizes along the way.
Quests, you say?
Yes! You can complete quests in three different quest lines to earn some extra-cool prizes. Here are the quest lines you can explore:
- The Rather Vibrant Library — You have opened the gates to the Rather Vibrant Library! All of the challenges in this quest chain may be completed in or around library buildings in Wellington. Quests include (no spoilers — you’ll have to wait until the Adventure begins before we tell you exactly what you need to do!):
- “What Makes a Hero?”
- “Recollections of the Past”
- “Ancient Texts”
- “Bibli-Orienteering”
- … and more!
- The House of Many Paths — While other heroes venture forth into the world to complete their adventures, you’ve chosen The House of Many Paths to stay home and explore your own space in your own time. All of the challenges in this quest line can be completed without leaving your home! Quests include:
- “A Moveable Castle”
- “Armchair Globetrotter”
- “Everyday Conjuror”
- “Protector of the Cake”
- … and more!
- The Realm of the Mighty Winds — An intrepid wanderer, you have chosen to brave the Realm of the Mighty Winds. The challenges in this quest line can only be completed by leaving the safety and comfort of your house and going somewhere else — whether in your neighbourhood, or somewhere in the city. Quests include:
- “If you came to Pōneke…”
- “Kororā Coasts”
- “The Park Ranger’s Oath”
- “To the Lighthouse?”
- … and more!
Each quest chain you complete, and each reading milestone you reach, earns you badges and sweet prizes, as well as giving you an entry in the draw for one of four Grand Prize packs, with prizes generously sponsored by Ben & Jerry’s, Experience Wellington, Circa Theatre, Cerberus Games, OfficeMax NZ, Wellington Zoo, and Light House Cinema. Keep your eyes peeled for when we reveal what the prizes are! We think you’ll agree they’re pretty awesome.
You mentioned badges? Tell me more.
Yes! There are not one, not two, but eight unique badges for you to collect as you make your way through the Summer Reading Adventure. Will you be the first to collect ’em all? Scroll through a selection of the designs below to whet your appetite — wouldn’t these badges look awesome on your schoolbag or pencilcase?:
