16 May Color Our World with Summer Reading

“Color Our World”™ through reading, early literacy activities, art, and fun with this year’s Summer Reading Club!

The Summer Reading Club (SRC) is an easy, exciting way to encourage people of all ages to read and to inspire caregivers to do early literacy activities with younger children.

How to Participate

Simply sign up on our website or at the library, use our handy reading logs to track reading time or early literacy activities – whenever and wherever they happen – and then bring the logs to the library to receive raffle tickets for a chance to win amazing prizes! You don’t have to have a library card nor do you need to live in Guilford Township to participate in the fun.

Independent Readers

Children who read independently and are going into fifth grade or younger track their reading time in 15-minute increments; they’ll earn a raffle ticket for every hour they read, up to nine hours. 

They can read whatever interests them – books, magazines, fanfiction, etc. – and the materials do NOT have to come from the library. Audiobooks and eBooks count as well, as does time spent tutoring, reading for school, reading to someone else, or listening to someone read to them.

Early Literacy

Our early literacy Summer Reading Club is for pre-readers, starting as young as newborns! Caregivers will track early literacy activities – reading, writing, talking, singing, and playing – adapted for the age and ability of their child. 

For example, if a child doesn’t speak yet, time spent talking and singing to them would count. “Writing” includes scribbling and coloring for toddlers and preschoolers, but for babies that might mean grasping an object – any object – or simply moving their fingers and exploring their hands. Reading encompasses any time babies spend interacting with books, whether listening to stories being read to them or playing with the pages. Playing similarly refers to anything your young child chooses to do for fun and enjoyment.

Special Programs

Summer Reading Club also brings special programs! Our weekday interactive storytimes continue through the summer, and we add weekday lunchtime programs including movies, coloring, playtime, LEGO® brick building, and simple crafts. Each week will also feature an art-themed program and a special party-themed program. If you’re signed up for the SRC, you’ll receive a raffle ticket every time you attend a program.

Fun for all ages

Summer reading fun isn’t only for children, either! Adults and teens can also sign up, and time that caregivers spend reading to their children counts for both the adult and the child. Details on the adult and teen programs can be found on our website.

Written by Carolyn L., Youth Services Program and Outreach Coordinator