Books: Summer reading programs
When I was a kid, my mother always signed my siblings and me up for our library’s summer reading program. I still remember the thrill of getting an ink stamp on my reading log each week–and collecting little trinkets intended as incentives to keep reading.
So imagine my surprise when I learned that my public library now offers a summer reading program for adults, too. Each adult who reads 15 hours receives a reusable library bag, a coupon for a coffee from the library cafe, and a free ticket to a local baseball game. According to one of the librarians, the program generated a much bigger response than was initially expected.
Did any of you have the opportunity to participate in an adult summer reading program? How about your children?




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back to top5 Comments to “Books: Summer reading programs”
I’ve never even heard of adult library reading programs–apparently our library doesn’t have them–but they sound terrific. Reading 15 hours to go get free coffee definitely makes a win-win situation.
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Are you kidding me? That’s how we go to Cardinals games around here. I mean, that’s how I encourage summer reading in my kids…
There are several different library systems here and they all have decent programs in the summer. We sign up for them all! Last summer all four of my kids won baseball tickets from all the different libraries. It was great.
Oh yes, and they read a lot too.
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My son has done the summer reading program the past two years, but wasn’t interested this year. Since he seems to read about the same amount whether he’s in a summer reading program or not, I wasn’t going to push him.
They’re having an adult summer reading program this year also, I think it’s new. I didn’t sign up – I also would read about the same amount with or without the program.
My experience is that the prizes given out to the kids are ones we usually don’t use – candy my son doesn’t like, coupons for a restaurant that will cost me more to eat there with him than it saves, trinkets that he plays with on the way home and then gives to me because he doesn’t really want them. I’m skeptical it would have prizes for adults I care much about either.
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I’ve never heard of this. As a kid I never participated in reading programs because they set the goals so low it felt silly (a book a month, stuff like that). If I participated now, it would only be if I happened to want the freebies; I’m positive I’d read more already than whatever goal they set (especially if one counts the books I edit, but even if they count only “extra” reading).
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Our local library does have a children’s summer reading program. The requirements are very minimal, so we have our own goals as a family that are much more challenging. What is neat is that there are different incentives for older (middle school) kids (gift cards) and trinkets for the younger.
This summer, I let my children choose the books they would read with the following requirements:
* They choose titles from “Books Children Love; A Guide to the Best Children’s Literature”
* They have to read at least 10 books in 10 different genres or categories (from a list of 24 categories in the book)
They will end up reading much more than 10, but this gives them exposure to truly good material across a broad spectrum. The rewards from the library program is icing on the cake. I and the two older kids take turns reading to the youngest. It’s neat to see my kids reading to their brother and enjoying it together.
Given that my kids have been educated in the classical, Christian tradition, they are eager to read and enjoy it.
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