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May News from The Reading Agency
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Libraries roll up to take the Summer Reading Challenge
CIRCUS STARS: With the amazing news that 97% of library authorities, including all Welsh authorities and Northern Ireland, are running the Summer Reading Challenge this year despite very serious cuts, we are doing everything we can to make sure that this year's Challenge is well supported. There is a new trailer for schools and libraries to use to promote the Challenge and the new Circus Stars website goes live on 26 May. Recruiting young volunteers aged 11 to 25 to help libraries run the Challenge is also going very well. We've heard from Essex Libraries who have recruited 167 volunteers so far and are still recruiting 14 to 15 year olds who want to help out.
Some areas are adding a family dimension to the Summer Reading Challenge by running it in conjunction with our reading challenge for adults - the Six Book Challenge (see below). And some of the benefits of getting children engaged in creative reading activities through the Summer Reading Challenge can be continued by libraries and schools running Chatterbooks (see below). "Last summer, I was worried that my daughter would forget all of her reading progress but she really got into the Summer Reading Challenge and read a book a week. When she got back to school, her reading had not only kept pace, but actually improved - she went up a stage." Deborah Coliss, mother of Natasha, eight, Hampshire |
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Reading Groups for Everyone
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FREE BOOKS FOR READING GROUPS: We've had a great response to our new campaign. Over 800 reading groups are now registered with Reading Groups for Everyone. To celebrate Orion will give 10 copies of the phenomenal best-seller Please Look After Mother, which will be read on BBC Radio 4's Book at Bedtime, to the 1000th reading group to register on the website.
NATIONAL READING GROUP DAY: We are working with the Booksellers Association on big plans for National Reading Group Day on 25 June. Read about what we are doing and how you can get involved. |
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YOUR STORIES: You can read a great story from Bexley Libraries about their virtual reading group. We want to publish more of your stories, evidence, images and videos about the great things that reading groups do. We are interested in hearing from reading groups run by libraries, other organisations and individuals. Email readinggroups@readingagency.org.uk and we'll publish the best.
TWITTER BOOK CLUB: May's twitter book club book is Love in the Time of Cholera by Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Twitter chat will be at the end of May but check www.readinggroups.org for exact date. In the meantime, catch up with last month's discussion about The Spy Who Came In From The Cold at the #bookamonth twitter hashtag. |
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Our work with children
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Chatterbooks reading groups
SIGN UP: Chatterbooks - our network of children's groups - brings together lots of different partners across libraries, schools, publishers and authors to give children creative opportunities to engage with reading. There are lots of Chatterbooks reading groups on Reading Groups for Everyone but if you're in a library or school and haven't put your Chatterbooks group on the site yet, please don't forget to do so and help us to build the campaign.
Chatterbooks can help build on the positive effects of getting children fired up about reading in the summer holidays through the Summer Reading Challenge. Sign up to run Chatterbooks groups. |
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ROADSHOW: There was a great example of how Chatterbooks partners work together at our recent Roadshow in Bath. 50 children from Chatterbooks groups in Bath, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire helped plan the day. They came with their parents and carers to an action-packed day with authors Elen Caldecott, Tamsyn Murray, Jeremy Strong and Steve Voake. We worked with the Mission Theatre, Waterstone's and Bath Libraries as part of the Arts Council England's Arts Nation programme to bring arts activities to people who haven't necessarily had opportunities to get into the arts before. |
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Library and publisher roadshow in Glasgow
NEXT ROADSHOW: Our next Roadshow will be held at The Mitchell Library, Glasgow on 16 June between 11.30am and 4pm as part of our Children's Reading Partners scheme. Publishers and librarians will get together to share information and planning so that children have better access to all the best and latest literature. There will be presentations about latest titles from publishers and authors, displays, giveaways, and 'speed-meeting' between libraries and publishers. If you are a librarian and would like to attend email Juliana.oliver@readingagency.org.uk before 31 May.
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Spotlight
NEW POSTER: We make sure that we promote great new quality, contemporary reading available to children so that they have more choice. We work with library representatives to choose recommended new titles, which are then publicised through posters and recommended reading lists. Libraries and others interested in promoting the reads can now visit the website to find the books for May, June and July, and to download May's poster and the 'if you liked this you'll also love these' supplementary booklists.
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Our work with young people
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MyVoice
LED BY YOUNG PEOPLE: MyVoice is our new programme shaped and led by young people. It opens up creative reading and writing opportunities to 30,000 disadvantaged young people aged 11 to 19 who would not usually use their library. MyVoice gets them involved in their local branches - choosing books for their peers, managing a budget, interviewing staff and developing ideas online.
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MYVOICE ON FACEBOOK: MyVoice is now on facebook with a dedicated page for young people who are interested in the project to find out more. Please encourage the young people you work with to visit the MyVoice facebook page, 'like' our page and post their ideas.
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FIRST ROADSHOWS ANNOUNCED: Church Street Westminster will host a programme of creative events, workshops and performances focused around reading and writing designed by local young people on 27 July as part of our MyVoice Roadshows. Central Library in St Helens will hold their roadshow on 30 July. Kathryn Johnson, head of libraries at St Helens Council said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for young people to get involved in a unique reading and writing roadshow." Both libraries are now looking for young people to get involved in developing and running the roadshows.
If you know young people who would like to get involved contact:
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Our work with adult literacy readers
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Find a Read
NEW FREE RESOURCE: We are delighted to launch Find a Read, which we have developed in response to tutors and library staff asking for recommended reading to use with adults who are just getting into reading. Find a Read is a searchable database that showcases our pioneering work to identify not just books but websites, magazines and digital games suitable for readers at the lowest level of literacy. It is also the place where anyone working with adult literacy learners and readers themselves can rate, review and recommend reads.
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Six Book Challenge
CELEBRATE THE CHALLENGE: We're already hearing from colleges and libraries who are holding events for people who have completed this year's Six Book Challenge - visit the website for the latest news. We'll shortly be chasing entries for the prize draws and data return but there's still time for new organisations to take part and run the scheme whenever suits them.
We are also busy planning for 2012 so get in touch if you have ideas and comments on the future development of the Challenge. |
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Lindsay Johns supporting the Six Book Challenge
READING CHAMPION TALK: We were thrilled to hear from broadcaster and writer Lindsay Johns after he gave a talk by Brent Libraries to inspire adult learners taking the Six Book Challenge who wrote: "I was recently invited by Adele Finch from Brent Libraries to give a talk about the value and joys of reading to an adult literacy group at Harlesden library. It was a tremendously humbling experience, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and apparently the hour-long talk was a great success."
While Adele says: "Lindsay was a tremendous inspiration to our learners. The learners really related to him and he truly inspired the group to read. The fact that 57 hard to reach learners came along shows the appeal that Lindsay has. Our book issues increased dramatically that week. I have blogged about the event and would certainly recommend this type of workshop to other library authorities, and the prison libraries that are participating in the Six Book Challenge." |
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Look out for…
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The Future of Library Services in the Big Society conference, which we are supporting. On 21 June at Westminster Studio, London, Ed Vaizey MP, minister for culture, communications and creative industries will give the keynote address. The conference will bring together senior-level library and information management professionals to discuss emerging policy issues and share best practice. Visit the website for the agenda, speakers and to register.
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Keeping in touch
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Our funding
We would like to thank all the people who are supporting our work and helping us to open up the transformative world of reading to more people, including the Museums and Libraries Archives Council and Arts Council England.
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read - The Reading Agency Ltd
Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3GA
Company limited by guarantee, registered number 3904882 (England & Wales)
Registered charity number 1085443 (England & Wales) Registered Office c/o CW Fellowes, Templars House, Lulworth Close, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire SO53 3TL |