The Great Reading Challenge

Building a reading habit takes time—just like building stamina on a running track. The Great Reading Challenge is designed to make reading practice fun, motivating, and meaningful, giving students the opportunity to strengthen both their reading stamina and their love of reading.

The initiative is an annual nationwide program for fourth-grade students, where every child reads based on their own level, interests, and preferences. While the reading journeys are individual, the shared goal is clear: the more books read, the stronger the reading stamina and the richer the vocabulary.

Last year, participants read a combined total of over one million hours—equivalent to an average of 20 minutes per student per day throughout the autumn term. By September 2025, more than 2,500 classes and over 57,000 students had already signed up, representing around half of all fourth graders in Sweden.

The Great Reading Challenge is a joint effort by Adlibris, Bonnier Carlsen, Natur & Kultur, Rabén & Sjögren, and Bonniers Familjestiftelse. The initiative is supported by an advisory board including Anne-Marie Körling, Martin Widmark, Marie Trapp, Marlen Eskander, and Mats Myrberg.

Together, the partners aim to make reading a natural part of everyday life, strengthen children’s language development, and introduce new reading experiences through engaging activities and author interactions.

Additional partners include Astrid Lindgrens Värld, SF Studios, LasseMajas Deckarhus, and Quality Hotel Ekoxen.

Learn more: denstoralasutmaningen.se