Summer is officially here! And there’s no better time to get stuck into a good book, or two, than when the sun is shining and you have time on your hands. You can take print books out of the library for the summer, and use the ePlatform, which is available every single day of the year and filled with treasure just waiting to be discovered.

And, don’t forget the local public libraries too, in Herts and Beds (www.herts.spydus.co.uk/ www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/libraries). These are a wonderful resource all year round, but they really come into their own over the long six week holiday, when the school library is closed. It’s free to join the Herts or Beds library, you can order a specific book via their website, and they also have magazines and newspapers available, if preferred. Borrow Box (www.borrowbox.com) is a free library app, which has thousands of books and audiobooks, which are all free to access.

Once again both Herts and Beds Libraries are running their Summer Reading Challenge (www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk) to encourage children and young people to read over the holiday. This is the country’s largest reading campaign, and each summer around 700,000 children take part. Sadly, a dip in literacy levels is often seen after the summer holidays, when children and young people take a break from the classroom. Taking part in a reading challenge can really help to ward this off, and it’s an enjoyable way to fill your time.

You can join the Summer Reading Challenge online, and you can read a print book, an online book, or listen to an audiobook. There is the option to either pop into your local library to sign up, or you can join online. If you bring your certificate to Mrs Yates in the KWS library, in September, you can earn 5 recognitions. What a way to get the next academic year off to a great start!

So, all that remains is for everyone here in the KWS Library to wish you all a wonderful summer holiday. We look forward to seeing most of you again in September, and to those off to pastures new, we wish you all the very best. Keep reading everyone!