Hello Everyone,

I am Christopher Jones a Librarian working for Inspire: Culture Learning and libraries who run libraries in Nottinghamshire.  I hope you are gearing up for a well deserved break over the Summer.

I am emailing to let you know about all the fantastic activities and activities we will be running over the Summer.  As you know times are unusual but we are offering a huge amount of activities for children to take part in over the Summer via our website.

All of the below can be found on our Summer Reading Challenge page at www.inspireculture.org.uk/summerreadingchallenge (you will need to scroll down to the bottom of the page)

1. Inspire Share a Joke Competition 2020  – We want you to share your favourite jokes with us.  All entries will have a chance of winning their joke drawn as a comic by Beano cartoonist Marc Jackson.  We are accepting individual and even class entries.  The page also features a host of jokes from our famous author friends.
2. Comic strip drawing workshops – Comic artist Marc Jackson is showing us how to turn favourite jokes into a comic strip over three 10 minute workshops.  The first session will go live on Wednesday 15^th July with subsequent videos appearing on a fortnightly basis.
3. Dirty Bertie - What Happens Next? - Competition – Dirty Bertie author Alan MacDonald is setting you a Dirty Bertie What Happens Next challenge.  He will read an extract from one of his books and then ask you what you think should happen next.  He will also give you some hints and tips. Goes live 18^th July.
4. Silly Summer Challenges – Silly Squad is all about being silly and enjoying yourself.  So we have set a series of challenges to be completed weekly or even quicker if you are a super challenger.  Can you complete them all? (I have attached a copy of the challenges to this email).  Starts today.
5. The Big Veg Takedown – Join brave explorer Walter Lemonface on a new animated adventure full of colourful characters, mysterious happenings… and lots of lemony goodness!  At the end of each part we ask for your feedback on what you would like to happen next.  We will try and incorporate as many suggestions as possible into the next episode.  This is a four part adventure with parts one and 2 already out.  Parts three and four come on July 22^nd and August 5^th, so it is not too late to take part.

As usual we will be running the Summer Reading Challenge.  Usually, the Challenge takes place in libraries across the county. This year, with the disruption caused by COVID-19 and the impact of social distancing on schools and public libraries, the 2020 Challenge will be an all-new, all-digital  Challenge.   Children will set their own personal reading goal and take part online to unlock digital rewards.  Children can join at www.sillysquad.org.uk

The theme for the Challenge is Silly Squad- a celebration of funny books, happiness and laughter.  Children taking part online will meet the Silly Squad; a loveable bunch of animals who run a fantastic fun house.

There are eBooks, eAudio, eMagazines and eNewspapers, available to borrow online here all to read and listen to for free.  As the summer progresses and our libraries begin to reopen children will also be able to borrow books from their local library.  As always, children choose the books they want to read on their Challenge; novels, fact books, joke books – all reading counts.  Opening hours and services may be different to what you are used to but the warm welcome from our staff will remain.  For upto date information on which of our libraries are open and when please check out the following page  https://www.inspireculture.org.uk/reading-information/which-libraries-are-reopening/

We also have a whole host of other activities available at www.inspireculture.org.uk/online  including music sessions, art activities, online nursery rhymes, dance challenges and many other things that will be of interest to children and families.

Hopefully the above will be of interest to your children and families and will help keep them entertained over the Summer.  If you are able to let your children and parents know about these activities it would be much appreciated.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me either via email or on 0115 804 1358.

Thanks

Chris

Christopher Jones

Librarian

Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries