Four-year-old Roni Litt Gets Gold in Hedge End

Four- year-old Roni Litt is the first reader in Hedge End to have been awarded a Gold Certificate for the Bookstart Book Crawl!

In less than two years Roni has borrowed 287 books from the Hedge End library and although other readers were hot on her tail, Roni was the first to receive ten certificates for her reading record, which is when a gold certificate is awarded.

The Book Crawl is a Bookstart initiative. Library members aged 0-4 years receive a sticker on every library visit when books are borrowed – whether it’s one, two or twelve books. For every four stickers awarded, a certificate is given – and to get gold, ten certificates must have been awarded.

“So this is a brilliant achievement on Roni’s part,” confirms library supervisor Mike Brennan.

Roni, who has just finished at Our Place pre-school and is about to start at Berrywood Primary in September, says she loves reading and her favourite book is Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs (by Giles Andreae).

Mum Sarah Litt adds, “Roni really enjoyed doing the Bookstart book crawl and we’re really proud of her.”

The Book Crawl scheme was set up to introduce children to books at an early age and encourage a ‘library habit’.

Mike Brennan believes it is proving “a great reading initiative.” He continues, ‘At Hedge End library we hand out about 150 stickers a week. It’s a really good way of encouraging parents to read with their children.”

For more information about the Bookstart Book Crawl scheme ask any member of staff at Hedge End Library or see the Bookstart website.

And well done, Roni! That’s an amazing achievement!