Generate curiosity among children

NEW DELHI: British Council, in collaboration with Reading Agency, is organising the 'Reading Challenge' for children aged 5 to 12 years to help them grow as confident and engaged readers. In this programme, children are challenged to read a range of 6 books specially selected by the British Council.

Using the principle of encouragement and motivation, the Challenge inspires children to read for pleasure. Thus, leading to the improvement of their English language skills, development of their reading skills, and building of their confidence. Children will also attend multiple expert-curated workshops to enhance their writing and inferring skills along with boosting their creativity as well as critical thinking.

This year's theme for the programme, 'Gadgeteers', is created in partnership with Science Museum Group and is brought to life by top children's writer and illustrator Julian Beresford. Under this challenge, kids must read a minimum of 6 books in 6 weeks from the collection of new, hand-picked books. The books will help the young Gadgeteers to discover the amazing science and innovation in the world around them.

If you want to instil a love for reading among your children, look no further! Enrol them in this challenge and let them be free in the world of science, outer space, or coding, with books like:

Ada and the Galaxies by Alan Lightman

In collaboration with Olga Pastuchiv and Susanna Chapman, Alan Lightman brings galaxies close in a stunning picture-book tribute to the interconnectedness of the natural world. The story zooms in on one child's experiences: Ada knows that the best place for star-gazing is on the island in Maine where she vacations with her grandparents. Will the fog this year foil her plans, or will her grandfather find a way to shine a spotlight on the vast puzzle of the universe...until the weather turns?

Agent Asha: Mission Shark Bytes by Sophie Deen

Computer code just got dangerous in this action-packed spy adventure series Asha Joshi has the perfect excuse not to finish her homework. She's just been recruited to join the top-secret Children's Spy Agency. Her first mission: SAVE THE WORLD. Asha's a coder so she should be able to hack into the biggest tech company in the world, fight deadly sharks and figure out why the Internet has stopped working. All before bedtime. Can she do it?

AL's Awesome Science: Splash Down by Jane Clarke

Al's experiments have the most unexpected and messy consequences. Al is experimenting to find out what kind of covering his time machine will need to survive its SPLASH DOWN! back to Earth. Water experiments have a habit of making things very wet and messy. Can they finish their experiments before mum finds out?

Bears Make the Best Science Buddies by Carmen Oliver

It's time for the first science lab, and nobody can agree on an experiment. But why pick just one when Bear is around? Bears make the best science buddies, and Bear proves it by helping each group use the scientific method for its special experiment.

The City of Rust by Gemma Fowler

Railey dreams of winning the drone races with her bio-robotic gecko friend, Atti. But when a bounty hunter crashes their biggest race yet, the pair are forced to flee to the feared Junker clans who mine the rubbish orbiting the Earth. Rescued by a couple of Junker kids, they discover a danger bigger than anything they'd imagined - but can three kids, a gecko and an ancient computer save the world against the huge trash bomb (and its power-crazed creator) threatening to destroy the world?

Deep: Dive Into Hidden Worlds by Jess McGeachin

Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the edge of our solar system? Or what lives in the cold depths of the ocean, where even sunlight can't reach? Come on a journey to the deepest parts of our universe--but be warned, things can get a little strange here. Temperatures are extreme, pressure is intense, and darkness is everywhere.