Circus Stars - Summer Reading Challenge

Roll up! Roll up! Halton Libraries will be joining libraries across the UK to introduce children to a summertime circus spectacle that will keep them reading throughout the summer holidays with the 2011 Summer Reading Challenge ...and it's all free!

Children are encouraged to read six or more books of their choice during the holidays with incentives and rewards plus a certificate or medal for everyone who completes the challenge.

The 2011 challenge is called Circus Stars and there is a special website where children can link to authors and illustrators and talk about their favourite books online.

Bookcrawl for under 4s

Would your chldren like to join us on the Bookstart Bookcrawl? Children aged 0 to 4 who visit any of Halton libraries can collect special stickers. After six visits they can choose a certificate from our collection like the Penny Dale one shown here.

The certificates are a delightful memento of a child's early years as a library member.

READING PLACES

Reading Places is the name of this year’s Time To Read promotion and it’s all about your holidays.

Travel writing can inlude memoirs and accounts from intrepid professional travellers and advice for first-time backpackers. We've paired up fiction books with books about travelling and travellers for you to choose and take on your holidays.

Why not tell us where you've a taken your library books to this year. To let us know that you've discovered Reading Places, we'd like you to return the postcard that you’ll find inside the special promotion books to us. Or you can send a digital photograph to Time to Read and say where you’ve been to with your library books. If you return a card or a photo to us before October 31st you will be entered into a prize draw.

CV workshops at Halton Lea

Halton libraries in partnership with Nextstep will be hosting CV drop in sessions at Halton Lea library.

If you need help with creating or updating your CV, drop in on Tuesday 7th June 9.30 – 11.30 or Tuesday 14th June 9.30 – 11.30. The sessions are free of charge.

MyVoice on Facebook

MyVoice is an exciting new project happening for young people aged 11 to 19. It lets you use your voice to get involved in making decisions about the things that happen here in Halton. And you can get experience at events management, learn new skills in digital tools and techniques and get help with job interviews and work experience too.

If you want to get involved contact, Allyson.watt@halton.gov.uk or jennie.archer@halton.gov.uk, or you can call us on 01928 565973.

Why not check out what’s happening all around the country, at MyVoices on Facebook.

Home and away: Readers' Day at The Brindley

This is a day for everyone who loves books and reading. Our readers’ day will explore some of the best local writing from Halton and give you an opportunity for meet and talk with authors. There will also be lots of opportunities to buy books from the featured authors plus Marc Gee and our main speaker Fran Sandham

10.00am to 10.30am. Local history writers’ panel with Alex Cowan, Roy Gough and Jean Bradburn, Reference and Information Officer from Halton Libraries

11.00am to noon. Choose from two optional workshops: ‘How to get published’ with Sarah Oliver who will talk about her writing and how she became a successful author or ‘Flashback fiction’ with Angela Topping who will discuss the entrants to the Flashback Fiction competition

1.00pm to 2.00pm. Announcement of the Kate Edwards award for Poet of the Year. This will be hosted by Angela Topping

2.00pm to 3.00pm. Choose from two optional workshops: Hear Alex Cowan talking about his new book called “Last Orders” Runcorn Pubs or listen to Mark Rosney as he takes you on a virtual spooky guided tour around the paranormal hotspots of Runcorn.

3.00pm to 4.00pm. Hear Fran Sandham talk about ‘Traversa – A Solo Walk Across Africa’. Wrap up of the day.

Venue: The Brindley, Runcorn
Time: 10.00am to 4.00pm
Cost: £10 (£8 concession) including refreshments on arrival and a goody bag

Poetry cafe at Halton Lea

Coffee culture is coming to Halton Lea, as part of the upcoming Talkwrite literary festival takes place in the award-winning library's coffee bar.

On Tuesday 7 June between 1pm and 2pm Paul Langford will sit and tell stories - with his mixture of the hilarious, tragic, heart warming, proving storytelling is not just for children

Thursday 9 June sees a poetry cafe led by Angela Topping from 1pm to 2pm.

Born and bred in Widnes, Angela attended Liverpool University and is the author of four solo poetry collections, several critical books on literary works and is a published writer of flash fiction.