Latest news with #SummerReadingChallenge
BBC News
01-08-2025
- General
- BBC News
Summer Reading Challenge 2025: Are you taking part?
Do you enjoy reading for fun? Like a challenge? Well, charity The Reading Agency has launched its big Summer Reading year the charity launches a big summer challenge, where children set a goal to read as many books as they'd like over the holidays, to encourage children to feel more confident, and discover a love for by the charity has shown that in the UK, one in four children cannot read well by the age of part of the challenge last year, more than 13 million books were read and issued through libraries, and 70% of children who took part said they now feel more confident reading. How can people get involved? The Summer Reading Challenge is aimed at children aged four to 11-years-old, and kids can take part online, or by visiting a local the library, children can sign-up for free, set a reading goal for how many books they'd like to read, choose some books, and earn rewards like stickers or a medal for completing a reading libraries are also hosting special events as part of the Summer Reading you can't get to your local library, kids can join in online, by signing-up on the official website, setting a goal and get tips for accessing books for free at home. As you read you'll unlock digital rewards, including a printable certificate for completing your goals. Kids can also leave book reviews for other children to help them find a book they might you taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge?What books do you love to read? Let us know in the comments below!
USA Today
01-08-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Listen to live music and go late-night book shopping at Neighborhood Books in Maine
Independent bookstores are the heartbeats of their communities. They provide culture and community, generate local jobs and sales tax revenue, promote literacy and education, champion and center diverse and new authors, connect readers to books in a personal and authentic way and actively support the right to read and access to books in their communities. Each week we profile an independent bookstore, sharing what makes each one special and getting their expert and unique book recommendations. This week we have owner Laura Hale of Neighborhood Books in Presque Isle, Maine. What's your store's story? Neighborhood Books is a woman-owned bookstore that opened in 2021 in a small space filled with books and bookish gifts. In the last four years, we have expanded to a larger location to fit the needs of our growing business. In our new space, we offer books in many genres for adults and children as well as fun book-themed events, book clubs, author signings and more. What makes your independent bookstore unique? Most of our customers know and love that our service is top-notch. Our employees are kind, caring and give fantastic book recommendations. We truly put our heart and soul into everything we do. Our customers also enjoy or events like themed book nights and our "Late & Live" nights that feature late-night shopping and live music. What's your favorite section in your store? I love to read mysteries, so that's my favorite section of our store. Many of our customers also love a good mystery and enjoy this section for thrilling reads. What book do you love to recommend to customers and why? I'll never stop recommending "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt. This delightful book is full of hope and love. I've never loved a character more than the octopus in this book, Marcellus! What book do you think deserves more attention and why? "The Name She Gave Me" by Betty Culley is a hidden gem. Culley is a Maine author, but I think booksellers across the country need to read this book. "The Name She Gave Me" is a young adult novel in verse about Rynn, a teen girl growing up in Maine who was adopted at birth. In her search for her biological mother, Rynn finds she has a biological sister. As she begins a relationship with the sister she never knew she had, her relationship with her adoptive parents begins to fracture. This is a beautiful book about family and the people we consider our family. Why is shopping at local, independent bookstores important? Wouldn't the world be so boring without local, independent bookstores? A local bookstore feels like the heart of a community, and the lives of book lovers would be a little more gray without them. There's nothing like the solitude of being in a store surrounded by books. What are some of your store's events, programs, or partnerships coming up that you would like to share? We host a Summer Reading Challenge where kids earn free books and prizes for summer reading. Our monthly book clubs are always a great time and I'm excited for the fantastic books releasing this year that we get to read and discuss. Each September, we host a Literacy Tea where community volunteers host a book-themed table for attendees. Ticket sales go towards purchasing books for children in foster care in our county.
Western Telegraph
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Golden tickets hidden in Pembrokeshire libraries books
Pembrokeshire Libraries have teamed up with Dr Beynon's Bug Farm in St Davids to add an exciting twist to the Summer Reading Challenge. As part of the Story Garden theme, 32 golden tickets have been hidden in books across the county's libraries. Children who find these tickets will win free entry to the Bug Farm, a popular destination that combines science, nature, and farming. The Summer Reading Challenge, a national initiative run by The Reading Agency, encourages children to read at least six library books over the summer holidays. The aim is to keep children reading during the break, supporting literacy and helping them develop a love for books. This year, those who sign up early will also receive an extra prize. Pembrokeshire Libraries are pulling out all the stops to make the Story Garden theme special for children. To start the fun, local children's author Kerry Curson will be hosting special events at Fishguard, Haverfordwest, and Narberth libraries to launch the challenge and inspire young readers. Throughout the summer, libraries in Fishguard, Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock, and Tenby will be hosting weekly story and craft sessions related to the theme. These free events aim to keep children engaged, entertained, and learning all summer long. Reading during the holidays is not only fun but also helps children maintain and improve their reading skills, boosts confidence, and encourages creative thinking. Parents and children can follow Pembrokeshire Libraries on social media for updates, event listings, and clues about the golden tickets. The Summer Reading Challenge is more than just about reading; it's a chance for children to explore new worlds, characters, and adventures. So, visit your local library, get involved in the Summer Reading Challenge, and see if your next book holds the key to a fun day out at Dr Beynon's Bug Farm.
Winnipeg Free Press
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Panel to hash out all things horror, speculative fiction
Summer months are generally slower when it comes to author readings and similar events, but Raven's End Books (1859 Portage Ave.) has a doozie in store for Thursday. The Spec-Fic Midsummer Spectacular takes place from 6-8:30 p.m. and will feature a discussion on horror and speculative fiction by Susie Moloney (A Dry Spell, Things Withered), S.M. Beiko (Scion of the Fox, the Brindlewatch Quartet series), Free Press reviewer Keith Cadieux (Donner Parties and Other Anti-Social Gatherings) and Ottawa's James K. Moran (Fear Itself). Moloney will also serve as host; there's no charge to attend. ● ● ● Little Shoes Simon & Schuster Canada has announced the first three books from its new publishing program for children's books, co-edited by Yashaswi Kesanakurthy and Winnipeg's katherena vermette. The trio of books will land in fall 2026, and include the middle-grade fantasy novel The Shapeshifter's Guide to Gym Class by Toronto's Kai Cheng Thom, the first book in a dystopian young-adult series called The Kin Trilogy from Saskatchewan-based Michif author Tonia Laird, and a young-adult novel inspired by Frankenstein called The Isle of Teeth, by Vancouver Filipina-Canadian author Tessa Barbosa. ● ● ● Have a teen in your life that seems to have picked up the writing bug? The Manitoba Writers' Guild's youth program offers 13-19 year-old scribes the chance to connect and learn through monthly Zoom sessions. The group recently released the 2025 anthology Nothing Is As It Seems, which features contributions from active participants as well as alumni. Signing up for the youth program costs a measly $10 — for more information on the youth program and to sign up, see ● ● ● If the young people in your life are more readers than writers, it's not too late to get in on the fun with the Free Press Summer Reading Challenge for Kids. A spinoff of the Free Press Book Club, the Summer Reading Challenge has gotten help from partners at McNally Robinson Booksellers to choose books for kids ages 7-9 years, 10-12 years and 13-15 years. Readers blast through the book (or books) and can rate and review the titles, with the chance to get their reviews in these very books pages. The first batch of Summer Reading Challenge reviews will appear in the July 26 Free Press books section, with the second batch slated to run in late August. For the list of books, to register and more, see ● ● ● One of the featured Summer Reading Challenge for Kids authors is local Swampy Cree writer David A. Robertson, whose 2024 middle-grade novel The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage is on the 10-12 year-old list. Buy on Robertson's next release for young readers is a picture book, Little Shoes, illustrated by Maya McKibbin and published by Tundra. The book will hit shelves on July 29. Buy on Robertson also wrote the introduction to the new edition of the late Richard Wagamese's Medicine Walk, originally released in 2014 and re-released on July 15 along with five other books as part of the Kanata Classics line. Buy on Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. ● ● ● The Prairie Comics Festival is looking for gently used graphic novels, manga, comic books and more for the group's big book sale, which takes place Sunday, Aug. 10. Donations can be dropped off at the festival office at 611-70 Arthur St. during business hours (Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.), or can be left in the nearby donation bin anytime. Buy on books@ Ben SigurdsonLiterary editor, drinks writer Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press's literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press's editing team before being posted online or published in print. It's part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Daily Record
09-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Debt charity shares essential tips for parents worried about money during summer holidays
StepChange offers help and advice to people struggling with debt, so don't put off seeking support this summer. How to apply for Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours childcare A New YouGov poll has revealed the financial pressures facing parents over the school holidays this summer. According to the research commissioned by StepChange Debt Charity, one in three (33%) parents with at least one child under 18 have no savings for a rainy day, this compares to under one in four (23%) UK adults. The study found that one in six (16%) parents with at least one child under 18 have used a credit card to pay for essential household bills in the last three months, compared to one in ten (10%) UK adults. It also indicated that one in four (23%) of parents with at least one child under 18 have used credit, loans or an overdraft to make it through to payday, almost double compared to all UK adults (12%). Almost half of StepChange's clients are parents with dependent children, and the charity knows first-hand how cost of living and debt pressures can be felt by parents more acutely. Tips to help manage your money this summer StepChange has shared its top tips for parents worried about their finances this summer, on how to avoid debt problems and have fun with family over summer with a tight budget. Plan your summer budget: It might sound simple but having a detailed budget can help to keep track of your finances and how much disposable income you have to go toward activities, food, any planned holidays and other costs. StepChange has some useful budget templates on its website. If your child is eligible for free-school meals, you should check what your local council has on offer as part of the holiday activities and food programme, which provides healthy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families. Many large supermarkets offer 'kids eat free' or for £1 deals, which is worth checking out at your local supermarket. Check out what's on offer from your local library: There are often lots of free or cheap activities on offer - including the Summer Reading Challenge, which launched on the 5th of July and encourages kids to keep reading (for free!) over the summer. Be mindful when relying on credit cards: Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), or other forms of credit. Before borrowing, ask: 'Do I need it? Can I afford it? Can I pay it off soon?' Avoid extra charges and build trust by staying in control. Check if your local council offers any grants for school uniforms: It may feel early to be thinking about this, but it's worth factoring it into your summer budget before August rolls around. If you are struggling with financial commitments or credit repayments, speak to your creditors who will have support in place. Don't hesitate to get in touch with a free debt advice organisation like StepChange if you're worried about debt. Simon Trevethick, Head of Communications at StepChange Debt Charity, said: 'Rainy day savings can be a lifeline for dealing with unexpected costs, but the rising cost of living has made it harder and harder to save - something which is felt particularly by parents with school age children. 'The summer holidays can bring a lot of excitement for families, but with that can be money worries of how to keep the kids entertained, cover any childcare costs and put food on the table.' He added: 'While it can be tricky, it's important to not pressure yourself into spending more than you can afford and risk triggering debt problems - it's definitely possible to have fun and make memories on a budget. If you are relying on credit to cover costs during summer while finances are tight, always be mindful of repayments in a month or two and whether those will be affordable. 'Remember, if you are struggling with debt, you're not alone - at StepChange we can offer free and impartial advice that will help you get back on track.'
