A CHILDREN'S mission, should they choose to accept it, will be to boost their reading skills by playing at being special agents.

Stourport Library is launching Mission Possible, as part of the National Reading Challenge, on Tuesday.

Aimed at four to 12-year-olds, the scheme provides the youngsters with a Reading Mission pack, featuring two intrepid agents and a dog.

When children sign up for the mission, they will be given their own attaché cases, packed with top secret contents. They will be called on to carry out three missions, each testing their powers of observation, ingenuity and logic.

The junior James Bonds can also use a code breaker to solve the puzzles. As part of the challenge, the agents pledge to read books, using secret message cards.

As an added inventive, the agents will be given stickers, code sheets and pens when they return their books and a Mission Accomplished medal and certificate.

To get the reading mission off to a flying start, between 2.30pm and 3.15pm on Tuesday Stourport Library will host the Mission Possible Magic Show, aimed at four to seven-year-olds. There is a charge for children's tickets for the show, while adults are free.

A series of three Melody Monkey workshops will be held in Stourport Library during the summer, beginning on Tuesday morning , between 11.15am and 11.45am. The others are on August 8 and 22.

Places are free but limited to 15 children, so parents are urged to contact the library on 01299 822866. Children must be accompanied by adults.

Children aged seven to 11 can also get close to centipedes when the Animal Man visits the library on Thursday, August 31, from 10.30am to 11.30am. Again, there is a charge for children but adults are free.