Growing up, my summer routine was based on frequent trips to two places in my community: the tennis courts and the library.  It was a family ritual for us to visit the library to select books to read through the summer.  At first, I have to admit that I was incentivized to read based on the prizes our library offered for reading books.  I don't remember when it happened, but I remember shifting from reading for an award to reading for enjoyment and inspiration!  My favorite series were The Boxcar Children and the Myth Adventure. 

This week, I signed up for Wright Library's Summer Reading Challenge. I hope students and their families join me in this great summer opportunity. 

Students who read over the summer maintain — and often increase — their reading levels. Add in ample doses of playing outdoors, spending time with friends and family, and getting well-earned rest, and your children will return to school positioned for a great year.  I am finding even now that a good book replaces the time my boys are on their phones and screens!

I spoke with Michele Schoen, who leads Wright Library's youth services department, about the Summer Reading Challenge. She and her team have designed the challenge to encourage reading for the earliest learners through our high school students. She encourages kids to engage in whatever they enjoy reading — print books, ebooks, audiobooks, graphic novels –  all earn rewards and entries into grand prize drawings. 

Ms. Schoen also shared that this summer, children and adults can register and track their reading in the Beanstack app and a paper tracking sheet for that visual reminder to hang on the refrigerator. In Beanstack, you can opt into more challenges, called Side Quests, to earn additional entries into the library's prize drawings. 

The Library also offers weekly and special programs during the summer for students to hang out, learn, and explore. You can find all of those events at wrightlibrary.org/events. 

We are fortunate to have Wright Library as an educational community partner. With Wright Library and the libraries in each of our school buildings, our students and families have excellent access to books all year long. 

I hope to see you at  Wright Library this summer — and I would love to hear about what you are reading! Register for the Summer Reading Challenge and learn about all the library's summer offerings at www.wrightlibrary.org/summer