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A Comical Time of Year!

Comics Plus is your free, all-access pass to a world of comics, graphic novels, and manga—with over 25,000 titles to choose from. With unlimited, simultaneous use and no waiting for a copy of your favourite to become available. New stories land every week, so there’s always something exciting to discover!

And just in time for the season… enjoy 60 merry and bright Christmas comics—perfect for holiday relaxing and cozy winter reading. Visit your local library to get signed up to this brilliant free resource.

Handling Grief at Christmas

National Grief Awareness week is approaching on 1st to 8th December and with the festive season upon us this a very hard time for those who have lost loved ones.

There is a great article this month in Psychologies (available free via your library’s PressReader service) which addresses this issue, follow the link to read it in full. https://pressreader.com/article/281621016608439

Motivate Your Youngsters to Read More

Enjoy even better reward-driven reading and learning on the LOTE4Kids App – available from your local library.

Your youngsters can build reading and learning streaks across four areas: the number of days they use the app, books read, activities completed and languages explored. As streaks grow, so do the rewards – children earn feathers for their Lekti avatar and collect special books that celebrate their progress.

Even better, every child gets a personal bookshelf in the app. It’s their home base to see streak progress, view rewards, and proudly showcase what they’ve been reading and learning! Perfect for sparking motivation and keeping the habit going.

Speak to your local library to find out more about Lote4Kids. This great service enables your children to enjoy over 7000 digital books in over 95 languages together with English translations, from the comfort of home.

Get Your Kids Learning Languages

Broaden young learners’ horizons with KidSpeak. They’ll work their way through fun and engaging activities with their cartoon “friend” and his or her playful pet.

  • Available languages:
    Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
  • Easy to access:
    KidSpeak is included with the Transparent Language Online available from your local Library and can be accessed on a computer, laptop, or tablet.
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  • Hundreds of words and phrases:
    Children can add to their seemingly endless vocabulary (and energy!) with over 700 words and expressions per language.
  • Age-appropriate content:
    Designed for ages 6 and up, children will learn words and phrases suitable for their age, needs, and interests.

An ‘Itsy Bitsy’ Nursery Rhyme

Take part in World Nursery Rhyme Week – 10th to 14th November – with ComicsPlus. A free service from your local library.

From the artist of the best-selling Grandma Loves You picture book comes the classic nursery rhyme in board book form. Toddlers will enjoy following along as Grandma lends a helping hand when the spider needs it most. Includes count-the-insects activity page.

ComicsPlus offers thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from a variety of library-friendly publishers. The collection includes popular and award-winning titles for every age range and interest – including nursery rhymes!

Learn More About Money

It is Talk About Money week between 3rd and 7th November, and there has never been a better time to explore the free PressReader service at your local library to find all the great publications on this subject.

For example the weekly magazine Money Week, which is packed full of useful articles covering everything from their top Shares picks, to whether a pension or an ISA is better for you.

Sections include cars, property, travel, plus opinion from financial experts. This is a really useful magazine to help you broaden your financial understanding.

Unlock Your Inner Calm

Looking after your mental health is just as vital as looking after your physical health. Often, good self-care can be as simple as picking up a magazine and escaping into a story. Reading isn’t just a hobby; it can form an invaluable part of your self-care routine.

Immersing yourself in a magazine is excellent for stress relief. Research indicates that reading for as little as six minutes daily can lower stress levels by 60%. This activity physically helps reduce your heart rate, ease muscle tension, and guide you into a relaxed state of mind.

Reading is a high level, active cognitive-stimulating activity. This helps build your ‘cognitive reserve,’ which not only increases your analytical and critical thinking abilities in everyday life but can also protect against memory loss and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia as you age.

By using PressReader, available free from your local library, you have over 7000 publications at your fingertips. So why not improve your wellbeing today and sign up for the PressReader service.

Celebrate German Language Day

We’re shining a spotlight on German! With over 100 million native speakers, German is the most widely spoken language in the European Union. It’s known for its long compound words, rich literary tradition, and precise expressions. German is the official language of Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland – and you’ll find vibrant German-speaking communities across the globe.

Celebrated on the second Saturday of September, German Language Day is about honouring the rich history, culture, and creativity of the German language. From the magical worlds of the Brothers Grimm to everyday words like Kindergarten and Wanderlust that have travelled across languages, German is full of surprises. Say “Hallo!” with a story in German this month and let the adventure begin!

Fun Fact: Did you know that German once held the record for the longest word used in official documents? The 63-letter word Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz referred to a law about beef labelling. While it’s no longer in use, it’s a great example of how German builds words like Lego blocks!

Start your journey today! Free with your library card.