Summer Stars 2021: A National Reading Adventure
Summer Stars is the public library national summer reading programme for children All children throughout the county are invited to join the adventure and to enjoy the fun and pleasure of reading and writing over the summer. Summer Stars is non-competitive and every child who reads even one book/eBook is regarded as having completed the programme – and it’s all completely free!
From Saturday, 12 June children are invited to visit their local Kerry Library and collect a Summer Stars reading challenge card to track their reading throughout the Summer. The card will also be available for families to download here for anyone who cannot visit the library.
Reading Adventure
We’ve been busy for the past month restocking our libraries with the best new children’s books, available just in time for this reading adventure. We have also replenished our stock of the familiar favourites, from The Diary of a Wimpy Kid to The Famous Five, so we have something for every age and taste.
The new Kerry Library Borrowbox page has also just launched with a selection of brand-new children’s eBooks and eAudiobooks. We will once again feature a weekly eBook and eAudiobook of the week throughout the summer on our social media pages, to help young readers discover new authors and genres they might not have tried before.
Activities for Summer Stars 2021
While current restrictions mean that the usual programme of holding events in libraries cannot be delivered, we have still planned lots of exciting ways to join the fun throughout the Summer.
From Saturday, 12 June children are invited to visit their local Kerry Library and collect a Summer Stars reading challenge card to track their reading throughout the Summer. The card will also be available for families to download here for anyone who cannot visit the library.
Reading Adventure
We’ve been busy for the past month restocking our libraries with the best new children’s books, available just in time for this reading adventure. We have also replenished our stock of the familiar favourites, from The Diary of a Wimpy Kid to The Famous Five, so we have something for every age and taste.
The new Kerry Library Borrowbox page has also just launched with a selection of brand-new children’s eBooks and eAudiobooks. We will once again feature a weekly eBook and eAudiobook of the week throughout the summer on our social media pages, to help young readers discover new authors and genres they might not have tried before.
Activities for Summer Stars 2021
While current restrictions mean that the usual programme of holding events in libraries cannot be delivered, we have still planned lots of exciting ways to join the fun throughout the Summer.
- Weekly Challenges in Your Local Library Each local library will be issuing weekly challenges for reading adventurers to take part in, from weekly trivia questions to colouring competitions, redesign a book cover challenges to solving literary brain teasers. Summer Stars are encouraged to call to a library each week to choose their next book, complete the challenge and be in with a chance to win the weekly prize. Library opening hours and contact details available here.
Jovial Juggling Tuesday 27th July, 11.00am Join us on Tuesday 27th July for Jovial Juggling, to learn basic juggling techniques and then some few basic tricks! Book your place on this free workshop here. MATERIALS REQUIRED: Balls and a bit of space! (Tennis balls are ideal, a sliotar would be OK, but a bit hard) Please ensure you have all required materials gathered before the event. This free workshop will last approximately 60 mins. |
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- Online Storytime
- Kerry Library Story Trail at Tralee Town Park
Don't forget to share your pictures of the trail with us on social media to be in with a chance of winning a Kerry Library prize pack.
The Keep Well Kerry campaign an initiative of the Government of Ireland with funding from the Healthy Ireland Fund and the Sláintecare fund delivered by Pobal.
- National Summer Stars Short Story Competition
This year, as well as enjoying the all the amazing worlds you visit when reading books, Summer Stars is celebrating your imagination by running a short story competition. The competition is open to 6-18 year olds living in the Republic of Ireland - of course 6 year olds won’t be competing against teenagers! There are three age categories: age 6-9, age 10-14, age 15-18.
To enter, write a story using the following opening line:
Of all the places in the world, I never thought I would be here.
There will be 15 finalists in each category and one national winner from each category.
Prizes
Each category winner will receive a Tablet.
Each finalist in all categories will receive a €50 voucher.
That's a lot of great prizes and a lot of chances to win so let your imagination fly and start writing today!
Terms & Conditions
To enter, write a story using the following opening line:
Of all the places in the world, I never thought I would be here.
There will be 15 finalists in each category and one national winner from each category.
Prizes
Each category winner will receive a Tablet.
Each finalist in all categories will receive a €50 voucher.
That's a lot of great prizes and a lot of chances to win so let your imagination fly and start writing today!
Terms & Conditions
- This competition is open to children living in the Republic of Ireland.
- There are three categories: Age 6-9, Age 10-14, Age 15-18.
- Stories may be written in Irish or in English.
- Stories must use the following opening line:
Of all the places in the world, I never thought I would be here... - Stories must be no longer than 500 words.
- The competition is open for entries from 14th June to 31st August.
- Entrants can submit as many stories as they wish.
- All entries to be submitted in digital copy (e.g. Word, PDF) to summerstarsstory@lgma.ie by 5pm on 31st August. Hard copies will not be eligible.
- In the email, entrants must include:NAME
AGE
CONTACT PERSON
CONTACT NUMBER
NAME OF LOCAL LIBRARY SERVICE.
This information will only be available to the Libraries Ireland, LGMA team. This information and the competition entry itself will only be kept for the duration of the competition. - Please use ‘Summer Stars Story’ as the subject line of the email.
- Entries must the original and unpublished work of the entrant.
- The entrant’s name must not appear anywhere in the text of the story as judging will be anonymous.
- There will be no correspondence with the judging panel and no feedback provided to individual entrants.
- There will be two rounds of judging for each category. In Round One, stories will be shortlisted and 15 will be selected to go through to the national judging final. In Round Two, a national winner will be selected from each category.
- The decision of the judges is final.
- The winning and finalist entries from each category will be uploaded to Libraries Ireland and the winner’s local public library website.
- Myth & Magic Creative Writing Competition
Entries have now closed for our 'Myth & Magic' creative writing competition for primary school children.
The competition will be judged by bestselling children’s author, Caroline Busher, who has shared some of her top writing tips with us here.
The competition will be judged by bestselling children’s author, Caroline Busher, who has shared some of her top writing tips with us here.
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Winners will be notified at the end of July and will receive a special Kerry Library prize pack and will also have their winning entries published as an eBook on the Kerry Library Borrowbox service for a period of 6 months.
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Spring Into StorytimeSpring Into Storytime is a national storytime initiative in public libraries which runs during the month of April each year. It celebrates the importance of families reading together and sharing stories.
As well as the enjoyment of the storytime sessions, stories and reading also help children to further develop their creativity and imagination. Storytimes are a fun activity that also support children's concentration and communication skills. While our libraries are closed we are once again taking our Spring Into Storytime sessions online, sharing some of our favourite stories, rhymes and songs with you. You can also catch up on all our 2020 Spring Into Storytime sessions here. |
Children's Book Festival
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Children's Book Festival is a national celebration of children's literature that takes place each October. For the Festival we were once again delighted to bring some of Ireland's best authors and illustrators to the children of Kerry. However this year to help keep everyone safe we've made the decision to move our festival entirely online. All events were available on our social media channels and some can still be viewed here.
We would like to thank everyone who took part in Children's Book Festival 2020. |
Family Time With Your Library 2020
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Recommended ReadsThroughout the summer of 2020 we put together videos of some of our recommended reads for children of all ages to help you find your next great read. All videos can be viewed online here.
For further recommended reading lists why not visit the Children's Books Ireland website where they have a fantastic selection of reading guides, resource packs and recommended reading lists. |
Online Resources for Children
Our online resources have plenty to offer for younger readers from eBooks to comics, online magazines to language learning.
Borrowbox- eBooks and eAudioBooks
BorrowBox is a service offered by Kerry Library with a large selection of eBooks and eAudiobooks available for adults, teenagers and children. You can download 5 eBooks and 5 eAudiobooks at any one time, all you need is a library card number and PIN. Full details to access the service are available here. If you need your library account renewed or PIN reset please contact 066 7121200 or email onlinequeries@kerrylibrary.ie
Kidspeak- Transparent Languages
KIDSPEAK™lgma.rbdigitalglobal.com/is a fun, age-appropriate online language course designed for children ages 6 and up! Accessible through Transparent Language Online, KidSpeak introduces your children to English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Mandarin Chinese. To access Kidspeak download the rbDigital app now and log in using your library card details. Further information about accessing the app is available here. If you need your library account renewed or PIN reset please contact 066 7121200 or email onlinequeries@kerrylibrary.ie
TTRS (Touch Type, Read and Spell) at Kerry Library
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TTRS (Touch-type, Read, Spell) is a multisensory, structured, online course which assists adults and children to learn reading, typing and spelling at their own pace. In addition to developing typing skills, TTRS is designed to benefit students of all ages who experience spelling, reading or writing difficulties. Learners with dyslexia or literacy issues have found it helpful.
Kerry Library is delighted to be able to offer complimentary access to this online course for students of all ages. Each student needs a unique username and password to get started and will have access to the course for a maximum of 3 months. More information about the service and how to sign up is available here and from your local branch library. |
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Kerry Library Toys and Sensory Resources Collection
The Kerry Library Toys and Sensory Resources Collection is a collection for children with complex
needs and their families, in County Kerry. The collection has its base at Castleisland Library. It was established
in 2015 for children who have a variety of needs. This was in response to the growing demand
for intervention services and the necessity for parents and professionals to work together to give the
children the maximum opportunity to develop skills and independence. The library was grant aided by
the Department of Children and Youth Affairs under the Play and Recreation funding scheme.
Kerry Library has over 400 toys; many are purchased specifically to meet the requirements of children
with complex needs. Items for lending include sensory and tactile toys and toys which build on fine and
gross motor skills as well as educational and learning games. More information on how to access this service is available here.
needs and their families, in County Kerry. The collection has its base at Castleisland Library. It was established
in 2015 for children who have a variety of needs. This was in response to the growing demand
for intervention services and the necessity for parents and professionals to work together to give the
children the maximum opportunity to develop skills and independence. The library was grant aided by
the Department of Children and Youth Affairs under the Play and Recreation funding scheme.
Kerry Library has over 400 toys; many are purchased specifically to meet the requirements of children
with complex needs. Items for lending include sensory and tactile toys and toys which build on fine and
gross motor skills as well as educational and learning games. More information on how to access this service is available here.
Right to Read
Right to Read is a national programme to promote literacy and reading development for people of all ages and backgrounds. Launched as part of the Opportunities for All: the public library as a catalyst for economic, social and cultural development 2013-2017 libraries strategy, it currently includes four national programmes designed to promote children's reading and literacy. These are:
Kerry Library continues to work with other local organisations to ensure that our services continue to support and enhance existing local literacy programmes. We are committed to stocking wide ranging and varied book collections to support literacy projects, continuing to training staff to offer advice on reader development and book selection and to providing an events and activities programme suitable for children of all ages.
- Spring Into Storytime
- Summer Stars
- Children's Book Festival
- Family Time At Your Libary
Kerry Library continues to work with other local organisations to ensure that our services continue to support and enhance existing local literacy programmes. We are committed to stocking wide ranging and varied book collections to support literacy projects, continuing to training staff to offer advice on reader development and book selection and to providing an events and activities programme suitable for children of all ages.
Kerry Library Classroom Novels Collection
Kerry Library has developed a Classroom Novels Collection as part of its schools support programme.
The collection has been extended to over 130 titles, covering a variety of genres and age groups, and can be loaned by all Primary and Secondary school teachers based in Kerry. More information about the service and how to borrow items is available here.
The collection has been extended to over 130 titles, covering a variety of genres and age groups, and can be loaned by all Primary and Secondary school teachers based in Kerry. More information about the service and how to borrow items is available here.
