Summer Reading is in Full Swing

by Melissa J. Oleen, Youth Services Supervisor Rowan Public Library

            By the time this goes to press, Rowan Public Library will be heading into its third week of summer reading programing.   It’s never too late to join in and here are my top ten reasons why your child or grandchild should participate.

1) There is a program for everyone at every age.  The library offers 21 different programs each week for seven weeks and that does not include movie night or adult programming.

2) The theme this year is “Every Hero Has a Story”.  Who doesn’t love a good hero story? And not just Marvel Comics, the Library has plenty of hero stories from different backgrounds including biblical, mythological, cultural, political, and even four legged friends.

3) This is not school!  Summer reading is fun reading and all about self-selection.  The advantages of free, voluntary reading include better spelling, writing style and grammatical development without the tests!!

Remember, what your child considers “fun” may be drastically different from your own perception of fun reading.  Accept this.  One of the easiest ways to deter a child from reading is to criticize their reading selection.  No book is too silly, too juvenile, too “wordy”, too big, too picture filled, too old, too popular or too thin.  If a book holds your child’s attention and gets them to read on their own then it’s a good start.

4) Have a tight summer budget?  Summer budget non-existent? Library programs are FREE.

5) Library programs provide an easy way to include quality reading activities in your child’s summer vacation.  Programs developed by our Children’s Staff include activities that encourage some of the best techniques identified by research as being important to the reading process.

6) Library programs strive to meet the social needs of youth and make them feel safe, cared for, useful and valued.

7) Coming to the Library provides children with immediate access to an extensive collection of reading materials in a variety of formats.

8)  Summer is a great time to do things you may not have time to due the rest of the year.  At the library, you and your young reader can experiment with alternate formats such as online magazines, digital and recorded audio books, graphic novels, and electronic books. Finding the right format for your young reader can be just as important as finding the right subject or genre.

9) Studies show that reading for pleasure can reduce stress.  What family doesn’t experience summer stress with everybody home and the temperatures rising?

10) It’s not just for the kids!  Summer Reading is a family activity.  Parents can participate in the library’s Adult Summer Reading Program and, like the kids; track time spent reading and possibly win a prize of their own.

Information about our Summer Reading Program is available on our website or email info@rowancountync.gov and ask to be put on our email list.