What is Reading Ahead?
If you want to improve your reading skills or just want to get back into reading then Reading Ahead is for you! Reading Ahead is a national reading challenge which invites you to read six things. When you finish each read, submit your thoughts and give it a score using the form on the 'Submit your Reading Online' tab above.
Northampton College is noted for its success in Reading Ahead, having won Reading Agency awards for nine years running!
Why should I take part?
Reading is a great way of challenging yourself and can improve literacy skills, teach you new things, support your wellbeing and build confidence. Once you've completed six reads, you’ve finished and you’ll receive a certificate and a prize!
You can join the scheme by collecting a diary from the Library before browsing our huge fiction collection or start your journey today by submitting your reading online, using the tab above.
What can I read?
You can read anything you like! Books, magazines, poems and newspapers could be a good place to start! You can also read eBooks, online newspapers and even websites which are perfect for Reading Ahead, especially if you can't get to the Library! We have put together a list below, please click on any of the website logos to get started:
![]() | First News is a brilliant national newspaper that makes news fun and easy to digest! Even better, their in-depth, interactive articles and stories can be read online 24/7 from home or College! To log in and read the latest edition, you will need to enter the First News Education ID which can be found on the Library's Moodle page. |
![]() | Open Library has an amazing collection of books across many genres that have been digitised and are available to read online! (Registration is free and easy!) |
![]() | BBC Radio 2 – 500 Words: A selection of the best shortlisted stories submitted to the national 500 Words competition from each year, going back to 2014. Some very inventive and imaginative stories! |
![]() | Libraries Week book extracts: You will find a range of titles on here. Read an extract of each book to give you a flavour of what they are about! |
![]() | Public Libraries eBooks: You will need to register for a ‘virtual Library membership’ to access a range of great eBooks via two providers. |
![]() | Reedsy Prompts: A collection of funny, suspenseful, and relatable young adult short stories perfect for Reading Ahead! |
![]() | ReadAnyBook.com offers an e-Library for reading books online. |
![]() | Neil Gaiman Short Stories: A brilliant collection of short stories written by Neil Gaiman. |
![]() | Oxford Owl eBook Library: A selection of tablet friendly eBooks. Please note registration is required to access these resources. |
![]() | BookRix: The BookRix website has a number of fiction eBooks that can be read for free. |
![]() | Amazon Learning Store: A range of fiction eBooks that can be downloaded on to a Kindle or Kindle app for free! |
![]() | Goodreads: Find and write reviews for books you have read and find inspiration for your next read! (registration required) |
Submit your reading online!
Please use the form below to submit your reads. Once you have submitted six reads, that's it! We will then check your submissions and let you know when you can collect your certificate and prize! Loading…Celebrating Success
The Library celebrates the achievement of all Reading Ahead students at the annual Library awards ceremony, held in May. Take a look at our previous awards ceremonies to get a flavour of the celebrations:
Check out these brilliant eBooks...
The Library has a brand new collection of Penguin Reader eBooks which are perfect to use for Reading Ahead!
Click the book cover below to read it via VLe Books. You will need to log in with your college details before you can continue. These books can be 'borrowed' for 3 days by clicking 'Read Online'. You might find that somebody else has already borrowed the book you would like. If this is the case, simply leave your email address and you will be notified when it is next available.