Lancashire Reading Trail
Join the quest today to take part in the Lancashire Reading Trail.
The aim is to be reading regularly and to have fun along the way. Once you've read a book we'd love you to share your views on what you thought.
How does it work?
There are three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold.
Each book you read and tell us about at your library leads you one step further on your journey across a map of enchanted Lancashire, earning stickers to chart your progress.
You choose which books to read. You can read books from home, school, the library and even choose e-books or e-audiobooks which are available through our BorrowBox app
The more you read the more characters you will unlock, collecting a playable card game which also features secret missions.
Completing each level earns you a certificate. Children who complete the whole trail get their treasured gold prize – their choice of a signed book, signed by the author themselves!
The Lancashire Reading Trail also highlights a number of interesting places across Lancashire to visit, many of which are home to our cast of colourful characters.
How do you let the library know which books you've read?
There are loads of different ways! Some of them are:
- Write or draw a review. Review sheets can be downloaded or you can create one yourself
- Tell a librarian about what you've read
- Leave a review online by going to the library catalogue, where you can add your review and rating right next to the book.
How do you play the game?
You can find a downloadable copy of the rules to the game by following the link, or keep scrolling to see the rules on the page. You are welcome to create your own rules, but here is how we suggest you play!
Basic rules
Your Lancashire Reading Trail map is the board. Place a counter at space 1 for each person playing. The cards you have collected will be used as your deck for playing. If only one person has collected cards split the cards between you for playing.
Each round starts with all players taking a card from the top of their deck. One player
chooses a category - Magic, Planning, Cunning, Speed or Toughness.
The player with the highest number in that category wins that round, moving their counter forward the number of spaces that was the difference between the highest and lowest number. For example, 5 against 3 means the winner moves two spaces, as 5 - 3 = 2.
In the case of a tie the next player picks a category.
All players put their cards at the back of their decks and start a new round, taking it in turns to choose the category.
The game is won by whoever reaches the last space on your map first.
Optional rules
The map board
You can play on just the bronze, silver or gold sections of the map, or combine them together to be a larger board.
Keywords
Each card has a keyword that adds a special rule for that card that you can use that round. It is recommended to read your special rule before a category is chosen.
Special sticker spaces
If you are on a special sticker space you add +2 to the matching category.
For example, if your character is on a space with a Magic sticker and has a 4 in their Magic category, your character's Magic is currently 6, as 4 + 2 = 6.
Information for parents and carers
The Lancashire Reading Trail has been created to encourage children to read regularly. It is well known that children who read for enjoyment find learning and achieving easier, and are more likely to succeed at school. Children can choose any book to read – it can be a book from home, the library or an ebook or e-audiobook.
It is not a race, and we hope your children will choose books that they will enjoy. Books that are appropriate to the reading level of your child are best – hard enough for it to be a challenge but easy enough for them to succeed.
Help us in encouraging your children to step into a world of books and stories with the Lancashire Reading Trail.
Volunteer in your local library
Are you aged 12 - 24 and passionate about reading?
Why not share your skills and help younger children (aged 4 - 11) improve their reading at one of our libraries. You'll be listening to children talk about the books they've read, recommending new titles and supporting them complete the Lancashire Reading Trail.
Culture Hacks
Being a Culture Hack is a chance to make great things happen in your local community. It’s about having ideas large or small, supporting your community and making a real difference. As a Culture Hack you will have chance to support a range of activities as well as having the opportunity to develop your own project ideas.
Meet Aileen and Ben and find out what being a Reading Hack means to them. If you've been inspired by them volunteer to be a Culture Hack.