The story-loving Malak family, spend all year looking forward to The Summer Reading Challenge - and now the time has come for the fiction-feast.

Children are encouraged to read six or more books of their choice during the school holidays, with collectable incentives and rewards, plus a certificate or medal for every child who completes the challenge.

Luton mum Samia Malak, and her three children, Humza, Fizzah and Shiza, enjoy the annual reading initiative so much that they often race to Wigmore Library to see who is winning the challenge.

Samia, of Round Green, said: 'What my children find interesting is competing with each other to get the books read and get to the first level and so on.

'At our local library they put up lists of names of the children who have reached each level, and they really like to see their efforts acknowledged.'

The Summer Reading Challenge is organised by The Reading Agency and reaches 650,000 children throughout the UK library network.

Children can sign up at their local library from July 21.

Team Read