Summer Reading Challenge 2018

This year’s Summer Reading Challenge launches in our libraries tomorrow, Saturday 14 July. The challenge is fun, free and designed for all children whatever their reading ability and it’s been designed to help children to improve their reading skills and confidence during the long summer holidays.

Children can read whatever they like for the challenge – fact books, joke books,
picture books, audio books or you can download a book,  just as long as they are borrowed from the library.

 

This year’s Summer Reading Challenge is called Mischief Makers – Dennis the Menace, Gnasher and friends invite the children taking part to set off on a hunt for Beanotown’s famous buried treasure.

 

Each of our libraries will be holding special events for children of all ages, some of these are listed now on our website Pop in to your local Kensington and Chelsea library  to find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge and collect a special  events programme.

 

Advertisement

Goodbye Summer Reading Challenge 2016: Big Friendly Party at Brompton

Last Saturday saw Brompton Library put this year’s Summer Reading Challenge to bed with our annual finishers’ party. The Roald Dahl theme this year was massively popular with the kids and many of them hoovered up the few titles they hadn’t already read. We supplemented his novels with joke books, revolting rhymes, biographies and autobiographies.

In the end an impressive 89 children completed the challenge, and the party was well attended! They had a great time – Katie lead the party, ably assisted by our long-standing friend and volunteer Lisa and they were treated to some great games and free juice and nibbles to keep them going as they played some very energetic games such as Duck, Goose (new to me) and musical chairs and statues (old favourites).

They also reviewed the books they’d read and enjoyed and talked about the craft events they’d come to at the library. Katie got some great feedback after the party and the kids and their parents agreed that the party was a great idea to round off the summer. Well done to everyone who took part and roll on the Summer Reading Challenge 2017- I wonder what it will be?

Steph Webb

 

Party time at Chelsea Library!

 

Last Friday we hosted the Chelsea Library Summer Reading Challenge party. We had over seventy completers and one hundred parents and children turned up to dance to Diane’s Latin American compilation and find Willy Wonka’s golden fridge magnet—the winner is yet to come forward! Please if you find the golden ticket nestling between packets of shrimp shaped haribos and some savoury crackers contact Chelsea children’s library!

Crazy Comic Club fun

Last week was the last week of the school summer holidays and Chelsea and Brompton Libraries wanted to go out on a creative high so we invited James Parsons, of the Crazy Comic Club,  to do two illustration workshops in one day, Chelsea in the morning and Brompton in the afternoon.

The stories of Roald Dahl

Craft events this month have been inspired by the Summer Reading Challenge so each week we have looked at the stories of Roald Dahl. We have already designed peaches and foxes and grinning crocodiles…

Willy Wonka hats: how cute are these!

Just a quick post with a nice Friday feeling: the children and adults at Kensal Library had great fun making these wonderful mini Willy Wonka Hats, one of our many Summer Reading Challenge activities! Why not take a look at our website and join us?

Make your own crocodile! A step-by-step guide

Make your own Very Hungry Crocodile! Our Summer Reading Challenge craft is super-easy, why not give it a go?

Golborne Street Festival

Gaynor, Lending Librarian at North Kensington library, writes…

Library stall at the Golborne Street Festival

On Sunday 19 July, Sandeep, Margaret, Natasha, Leanne , Nina and myself manned a market stall at the Golborne Street Festival. The day did not begin well: rain and extreme wind made setting up the stall with bunting and posters very interesting! By the time the festival started, however, the sun had broken out and we were taking shelter under the stall canopy. We took turns to staff the stall and leaflet the crowds.

Sandeep and Gaynor take shelter

There was a fantastic atmosphere with representatives from a variety of organisations and community groups, food and craft stalls, plus the obligatory bouncy castle, face painting and live music. For us it was a unique opportunity to reach a wide cross-section of the community we don’t normally see in the library and tell them about all the resources, activities and services libraries have to offer. Lots of people did not realise that the library service is not just about books; they were pleased and interested to hear about Zinio, Universal Class,  e-books and events.

Nina completely exploded the myth of the traditional reference librarian by dancing down the street and completely raiding the police and food stalls. She ran a gang of street urchins (also known as her friend’s children), whom she bribed to help us distribute Summer Reading Challenge leaflets.

We had a great day, distributing more than 200 Summer Reading Challenge leaflets and, over the course of the day, spoke to many hundreds of adults and children about our wonderful libraries!

Kensal Library: What we’ve been up to!

Natasha, Senior Customer Services Assistant at Kensal library, writes…

It’s been a busy six months at Kensal Library, with a packed program of events for our young users. Below, we share pictures from some of the stand out sessions.

March: African Dance Session

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We had an African Dance Session in March. As you can tell from the photos, it was a great experience and everyone had a lot of fun and enjoyed the music.

Mother’s Day Craft

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We made wonderful Mother’s Day rosettes in March and the children couldn’t wait to give them to their mums.

Bear Hunt in the Library!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We had the bear hunt in conjunction with Go Golborne in May.  The children wore great bear hats and the hunt around the library proved to be as adventurous as any real bear hunt! All of this was followed by tasty, healthy snacks.

A stall in front of the library about healthy eating also proved to be very popular.

Mini Beasts & Creepy Crawlies: 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In June we had a Minibeast workshop hosted by Holland Park Ecology Centre.  The children had a chance to hold and examine a hissing cockroach or a giant Madagascan millipede.  Lots of interesting questions and observations were made and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the workshop.

Now it’s finally summer and we are looking forward to this year’s Summer Reading Challenge – Record Breakers – which starts on 11 July.  Come along and register for great incentives and a super gold medal if you complete the challenge.

Mythical Maze monsters come alive!

At Brompton Library we’re holding regular Mythical Maze iPad sessions every Thursday 3.30 to 5pm so the kids can use our lovely new iPads to play with the Mythical Maze augmented reality app!

You can download the app onto any smart device to make the mythical monsters come alive and tell their story. Kids love seeing Nessie loom out of the lake and Medusa’s snake-hair fall out! Thereare  also games involving the creatures for younger users.

Everyone is welcome- please come along and give it a go!

 

Annie, our work experience student, helping two of our participants to use the iPad.