A summer reading programme is being launched by the Bermuda Youth Library and today to encourage youngsters to read during the summer months ? and by participating, they can win some wonderful prizes.

Youth services librarian, Marl Smith, said for the first time the youth library was joining forces with the newspaper for this annual event called 'Hot times, Cool reads' with a special supplement published in today's newspaper.

The supplement contains everything you need to know about this year's programme which runs from July to August, as well as a question and answer page children will need to participate and a holiday journal to record all those special summer memories.

On June 30 the first of seven chapters of a wonderful story called 'Sand Dollars' will be published.

Follow-up chapters will be published every Thursday in the Young Observer.

After completing each chapter, children can take their completed questionnaire to the youth library to receive a special sand dollar stamp.

And after completing all the chapters, kids returning to the library with their supplement will receive a T-shirt and a certificate of achievement. Jennifer Hind said yesterday that children did not have to answer all the questions, but did need to make a fair attempt at most of them and this could be done with help from their parents.

"In fact we encourage parents to make this a family activity and discuss the story with their kids," she said.

Throughout the summer, activities are planned at the youth library and a calendar of all these events is available in today's supplement.

Ms Smith said it was important to be registered and pay a nominal fee of $2.

"But they need to hurry because spaces are filling up fast," she said.

Some of these activities include a teddy bears picnic, story days, a scavenger hunt and a spooky encounter with Bermuda's very own master ghost story teller, John Cox, on July 21.

Ms Smith said activities would take place daily at 10 a.m., or alternatively at 2 p.m.

"We hope parents will encourage their children to read as much as possible during the summer because it helps them strengthen their skills prior to returning to school in September," she said, adding that reading material did not always have to be the "classics".

"Anything they show an interest in is worth adding to their reading list," she said.

Ms Smith added that more exciting prizes such as sunglasses and other "fun summer items" will be awarded to children who read an additional five, ten or 15 books during the summer.