The winners of a writing and drawing competition that inspires thousands of children to pick up a book every summer have been rewarded for their efforts.
The annual Summer Reading Challenge, sponsored by Total E&P UK, was launched in June and this year 7,235 children took part, reading a total of 32,028 books.
Lauren Thomson, 13, who submitted her entry at Ellon Library, was named as the winner for her ghost story.
There were also two runners-up – Freya Keith, six, of Ellon, who drew a magical picture, and Caitlin Metcalfe, 10, of Newmachar, who wrote a story about a beast who eats the world then drowns in his own tears.
The theme of this year’s challenge was record breakers and aimed to encourage young people to explore some of the real-life achievement featured in the Guinness World Records Books.
At a prize-giving at Kemnay Academy, writer Keith Charters, whose comic adventure novels include Lee and the Consul Mutants, spoke about what inspired him to read as a child.
Cllr Alison Evison, chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Education, Learning and Leisure Committee, said: “Every year children of all ages enjoy taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge which continues to go from strength to strength and it’s fantastic that there has been an 18% increase in participants in comparison to last year.
“I’m glad our young children have been able to explore some of the eye-opening records created around the world and I hope it has inspired them to go on to do great things themselves.”