Every year, the Summer Reading Challenge takes place in libraries during the school holidays. Children read library books of their choice, there are exclusive goodies to collect and activities to complete, and it’s absolutely free to take part! You're receiving this newsletter because you've already registered online using our Gadgeteers registration form.

Created by The Reading Agency, West Sussex Libraries launched 'Gadgeteers' on Saturday 9 July and we had a great day welcoming families who were beginning their challenge. Don’t worry if you’ve yet to visit your local library; simply head down over the summer to collect your Summer Reading Challenge goody bag (don’t forget to tell staff the secret code word!) Each bag contains a Gadgeteers fold-out map, three sets of scratch and sniff stickers, an incentive plus a Reader Review activity sheet.

We are also running the Mini Challenge for pre-school children. Ask staff and volunteers in your library to find out more.

Gadgeteers finishes on Saturday 10 September, so be sure to pop in and complete the challenge by this date. Medals and certificates are available from Monday 1 August.

Know a family who would like to take part in the fun? Forward this email to your friends so they can join in!

One activity which families love taking part in time and again is the Character Hunt.

This popular activity started in libraries at the weekend and staff had great fun finding new and inventive hiding places! Have you managed to find all the Gadgeteers yet?

The Hunt the Character activity takes place in all our libraries and runs until the end of the Summer Reading Challenge, so you have plenty of time to plan a trip to your local library. Don’t forget to add contact details to your entries and hand them to staff so your child can be entered into a prize draw – good luck!

Listening to audiobooks and reading eBooks, eMagazines and eComics all count towards the challenge, as does sharing stories together as a family. The key thing to remember is that children set their own reading goal this year, and they can choose to read or share any titles from the library to reach their personal reading target and receive a Gadgeteers medal and certificate. If eBooks and eAudiobooks are their thing, check out our new Gadgeteers collection available on the front page of Libby.

We have a wide range of brilliant eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines for adults as well as children, available to download for free from our eLibrary. Why not borrow some yourself?

How do you help your children find new authors and books to keep them busy reading? We suggest the online Book Sorter, produced by The Reading Agency.

It's an interactive tool which allows children to choose the type of book they want to read and is based on recommendations from other families.

BookTrust, Barrington Stoke and LoveReading4Kids are all really useful websites too, with great book recommendations and story extracts, plus reading advice and support for parents and carers.

If you have a reluctant reader, check out this quick video from Barrington Stoke. Containing some simple hints and tips for reluctant or casual readers, this guide aims to help make reading accessible and fun for all.

If your child has read a great book recently, don’t forget to encourage them to add it to their Reader Review activity sheet. Hand in these completed bookmarks at your local library and staff will be delighted to display them for all to see. There is nothing better than a personal book recommendation, so these may well inspire other children to explore new titles.

We have some great Gadgeteer-themed activities happening in libraries across the county this summer. Come along to a special Summer Reading Challenge storytime, where staff will be sharing stories and encouraging your child to become innovators with some brilliant craft activities.

Does your child enjoy designing and creating? Our Construction Clubs might be just the thing for them. Taking place at selected libraries in West Sussex, children will have the opportunity to explore a range of materials, designing and building something of their own creation!

Or perhaps your child would like the opportunity to talk about some of the new books they have been reading? We’re hosting Book Chat at various libraries so children can shout about the books they would recommend!

Check out our full Gadgeteers events listings for more information. Booking is essential but all activities are free.

We will be posting regular updates on West Sussex Libraries - Family Corner, a Facebook group where the whole family can come together to share stories, sing songs and enjoy all that libraries have to offer, as well as Twitter. Make sure to follow us to keep up to date with library news!