Promoting a love of reading: Summer Reading Program registration open

Establishing a love and interest in reading is the goal of the Library of Graham’s Summer Reading Program, which has registration open through the beginning of June.

Registration for the program with the theme “Unearth a Story” is open through Tuesday, June 2 for the expanded program that includes juveniles, young adults and adult readers. 

“This is our first time doing an adult reading challenge and it’s not as intense as some of the younger grades. …It is 45 minutes a day, four days a week, and importantly, audiobooks count. We say that is just reading with your ears. Busy adults use audiobooks so much more and I see that in our checkouts,” Library Director DeAnna Bullock said.

Reader rewards are provided for each weekly challenge completed, with six weeks to earn rewards and a chance for a grand prize. 

In the program juveniles are encouraged to read 30 minutes per day for five days per week, young adults are encouraged to read 40 minutes per day for five days per week and adults are encouraged to read 45 minutes per day for four days per week.

“For the younger kids, it’s good to keep practicing their reading and to keep their literacy up, so that when school’s out, they don’t have this giant break in their learning to read,” Bullock said. “Practice is what makes you better, and you become more fluent and more efficient in reading, so then that sets you up to read in order to learn.”

The juvenile program is for participants in kindergarten through fifth grade and the teen program is for participants in sixth through 12th grade.

“For our kids, they can read whatever they want. We have a lot of kids that read graphic novels that they may or may not be able to read for assignments in school, but we’re about promoting the love of reading, about literacy for the younger kids, about lifelong learning for the older kids, and the same for adults,” Bullock said.

The library implemented the teen program last year for older participants who had aged out of the program but still wanted to be involved. 

“They really wanted to enjoy the next step, so we extended it to them. We didn’t know what to expect. We had about 130 participants, and that blew us away,” Bullock said.

If adults read for all four days they receive a raffle ticket that can be dropped into a number of prize boxes. Adult participants also receive an additional ticket if they read a book that was formally banned.

“Those are books like Charlotte’s Web, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Farewell to Arms, The Grapes of Wrath. These are all books that have been controversial at one time, but are accepted as modern classics now,” Bullock said.

The summer reading program will conclude Tuesday, July 14. The library will contact prize winners at the conclusion of the program.

The library director said summer reading is about making people aware of the library and building an interest in reading.
“It’s to promote reading, using the library, understanding what a fantastic resource they have and we want the community to use the library because it benefits everyone,” Bullock said.

Juvenile Programs

Each year there are programs that are held with the Summer Reading Program. The juvenile programs will be held at 10:30 a.m. each Monday starting June 1 at North Central Texas College at 928 Cherry St., with the exception of the kickoff event.

Dino dig kickoff at the library - June 1
Mammoth musical fun - June 8
T-riffic dino science - June 15
Dino-mite craft and story - June 22
Prehistoric puppet show - June 29
Colossal balloons - July 6
Disco dino dance party - July 13

Young Adult Programs

The young adult participants also have their own events during the Summer Reading Program. Those programs will be held at 2 p.m. each Wednesday starting June 3 at the Library of Graham.

Collage art - June 3
Art/painting - June 10
Flower arrangements - June 17
Comic drawing/sketching - June 24