Story garden proves a hit with readers

Dunbar Library recently welcomed Edinburgh-based author Nadine Aisha Jassat (pictured) for a creative storytelling workshop to celebrate the end of the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge: Story Garden.

The Reading Agency’s annual Summer Reading Challenge encourages children ages 4 to 11 to read for fun and happens in libraries across the country every summer. 

Children from local primary schools and their grown-ups enjoyed Nadine’s poems and inventing their own stories, complete with book-cover bunting – you can visit Dunbar Library to view their amazing work! East Linton’s Night Owl Books provided books for a busy author signing with Nadine.

 A total of 838 children read 3297 books over the summer holidays – up by 19% and 9.6% last year respectively. East Lothian primary school pupils demonstrated their love of reading, with Dunbar Primary School boasting the most individual pupils taking part in the challenge. East Linton Primary School had the highest proportion of pupils take part, while Musselburgh Burgh Primary had the biggest growth in participant numbers since last year’s challenge. 

Congratulations to all of our readers and our library service for another successful Summer Reading Challenge.