Maria visited the Basingstoke Discovery Centre to present a book as part of the Summer Reading Challenge and discovered that a thousand children have signed up to the challenge to read six books over the summer.

She commented; “The response to the challenge this year has been fantastic.  I was really encouraged to see so many children and families making good use of all the wonderful opportunities to read and take part in the summer activities on offer at the Discovery Centre. It was also very encouraging to meet young volunteers, who had taken part in the challenge themselves, return to help other children choose books and offer advice. The Discovery Centre is a real asset to Basingstoke and offers our community a welcoming environment in which to enjoy books.”