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

Each year over 700,000 children across the UK are motivated 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.

Children can join the Summer Reading Challenge at their local library from Saturday 6 July, and there are amazing rewards on offer as they complete each stage (while stocks last)!

• When they sign up children will receive their Ready, Set, Read! booklet where they can record all the books that they read for the Summer Reading Challenge.~
  
  
• Stage one is completed when they have read at least two books. When they complete this stage and visit us at the library, children will receive scratch and sniff stickers to put into their booklet, and a reward!
  
  
• Stage two is completed when they have read at least four books. When they complete this stage children will receive a different set of stickers for their booklet, and another prize!
  
  
• Stage three is completed when they have read at least six books. This is the final stage, where children will receive the last set of stickers to complete their booklet, a medal and a certificate of completion!

Children can visit any library in Kent to collect a certificate and medal when they have completed the Summer Reading Challenge with the library, or via their online profile. Please note, we are only able to give out one medal and certificate per child even if they have completed the Summer Reading Challenge both in branch and online. 

If they have finished their Summer Reading Challenge at the library and would like to extend the Challenge or read more books, why not also join in online? There are lots of games, rewards and activities to discover and no limit to the amount of books children can record. 

Libraries will also be hosting special events , and loads of free children's activities across Kent throughout the summer! Check our events listings to see what's on near you. 

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.

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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.  

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

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

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