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Summer Reading Challenge

Winter Mini Challenge

Winter Mini Challenge: Ready Set Read

The Winter Mini Challenge is back!

From 1 December children will be able to take part for free via the Reading Agency's dedicated children’s website, wintermini.org.uk, and gain online rewards for reading and reviewing books!

The Reading Agency are teaming up with Youth Sport Trust once more and the Ready, Set, Read superstar team are back for another awesome reading challenge. The theme is sports and games – put simply, we're all ready to have fun and keep active!

Take a look at our recommended reads below. Children can reserve and borrow titles for free with a child or teen library card from any of our libraries in Kent, including at one of our mobile library stops. 

Not a member of the library yet? Join your family online today.

 

 

All children aged 4 to 11 can take part! The reading challenge encourages children to read for pleasure during the holidays, which helps prevent a reading 'dip' while out of school. 

Each year the Summer Reading Challenge and the Winter Mini Challenge motivate over 700,000 children across the UK to keep reading to build their skills and confidence. 

Children can read whatever they like: fiction, fact books, poetry, joke books, picture books, graphic novels, audiobooks, e-Magazines and e-Books, all free to borrow with a library card. Check out our recommended reads below, and start ordering their favourite titles to collect from your local library.

You can reserve items from our online catalogue for free with a child's library card! Order in titles from any of our libraries in Kent and we'll get it to your chosen library asap! If you've confirmed your home address with us at a library, you can borrow up to 30 titles on each library card plus even more via our eLibrary apps.

Ready Set Read Characters


Taking part in the Winter Mini Challenge is simple!

All children have to do is read at least three books between 1 December 2023 and 19 February 2024. They can choose any books they like! Fact books, fiction, joke books, picture books, eBooks, audio books, the choice is theirs and all of these can be reserved and borrowed for free from any Kent library with a child's library card!

Once they've read a book, add it to their website profile (over on the Reading Agency's website) and write a review to let everyone know what you thought. Remember to also log their books online to unlock virtual rewards too! 

Read and add just 3 books (or more) to complete the Winter Mini Challenge!

Winter Mini Challenge

Recommended Reads | Explore our eLibrary

Explore our eLibrary

Did you know that you have FREE access to thousands of eBooks, aAudiobooks, eComics and more with your library card? Read or listen on your PC, laptop, tablet and smartphones plus some smart speakers and eReaders including Kobo, Nooks and Kindle Fire!

Download the Libby app, the uLibrary app and the BorrowBox app for free from the App Store or Google Play Store and log in with your library card details.

Forgotten your PIN? You can easily reset your PIN online.

Explore our eLibrary

 

Events and Activities


Libraries are hosting loads of free children's activities across Kent this winter!

Check our events listings to see what's on near you

Joe Wicks: The Burpee Bears

As part of this year's Summer Reading Challenge, The Body Coach Joe Wicks shared his love of reading and exercise in this free virtual event for pre-schoolers and lower primary aged children! 

With a fun workout and a reading of Joe's new book, Burpee Bears, this is a great opportunity to discover the incredible impact that reading, and exercise can have on a child's wellbeing.

 

Video not loading? Watch on YouTube


Find the latest activities from the Youth Sport Trust, plus tons of fun stuff from your favourite authors and illustrators!

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More family fun with Kent Libraries


Looking for more fun free activities to keep little ones entertained this winter? Search our activities

You can also find more online activities over on our YouTube channel

Remember these?


Take a look at past online events and activities from some of our favourite Summer Reading Challenges! Don’t forget to like Kent Libraries on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to the Kent Libraries YouTube channel to be notified of our new online activities and events. 

You can also pop into your local library and ask to be signed up to our newsletter and marketing so we can let you know how to get the most out of your library membership, and be the first to know about new offers and services!

 


Love animals? Missed out on our ZooLab sessions? Take a look at our highlight reel of the best bits from 2021! Meet the rangers' animals up close and learn some new facts about some amazing creatures. This 20 minute video features lots of creepy crawlies, snakes and more! Big thanks to Rob, Anna and Georgie for hosting such fantastic sessions.

These events were held as part of our Wild World Heroes online activities and tickets were offered to families across Kent with support from Reconnect Kent.

 

 


This special Storytime linked to our FREE Summer Reading Challenge Activity Packs. These were available for families to collect in all libraries across Kent to help encourage little ones to continue their Wild World Heroes eco-friendly adventures as the summer came to an end. 

With big thanks to Reconnect Kent for supporting this project.  

Science Museum Pinball Activity

Do you know someone who LOVES games like Gadgeteer Eddie? Keep kids entertained and explore the science of forces and motion at the same time – game on! 

Have fun making this funky pinball machine with the Science Museum.

Let us know how you got on by sharing your creations and tagging us on Facebook

Science Museum Ice Cream Activity

Gadgeteers! Maggie likes to cook tasty treats for her friends, and she hates wasting food. Her special skill is experimentation – she always wants to try new things, including this brilliant summer activity from the Science Museum Group! 

Make your own instant ice cream with just ice, salt, zip-lock bags and flavoured milk (you can also try it with dairy-free milk)! Let us know how you got on by sharing your creations and tagging us on Facebook

Science Museum Oobleck Activity

Gadgeteers! Aisha is getting creative with science this summer to make some ingenious safety gear out of non-Newtonian fluid 

Believe it or not, you can make a non-Newtonian fluid of your own - it's called oobleck! Make your own oozing oobleck with this fun (and messy) activity from our amazing partner the Science Museum Group 

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Find brilliant gift ideas at your local library.

Pop in to the library or head to our Facebook page to see what's on offer, and get in contact if you'd like to make a purchase. We'll make sure your items are ready to collect for free at your chosen library, or we can arrange home delivery for you. 

We often have book sales at our libraries too, including children's picture books. Keep an eye out for bargains at your local branch.

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