There’s still time to be part of the fun during the Becker and Clearwater public libraries’ summer reading program, “It’s Showtime at Your Local Library,” which runs through Aug. 10.
The summer reading program is designed to encourage students to continue reading and keep their minds active all summer long. Programs are broken into children ages 0-12 and teens in grades 6-12.
“Becker’s summer reading program has been going well,” said Becker Librarian Jeannette Burkhardt. “Our mystery mosaic is almost complete.”
Clearwater Librarian Cyrene Bastien reported Clearwater’s 2019 summer reading program is proving to be the best in its history, with record numbers of participants in all age groups.
Participants are given reading logs to fill out for their time spent reading. Prizes are given out as reading logs are completed; grand prizes will be awarded at the program’s conclusion in August. Participants have until Aug. 10 to turn in their logs.
There’s still a lot of fun to be had during events at both libraries in the next couple of weeks.
Over in Becker, The Oz Brothers will be in Becker from 3 to 3:45 p.m. to celebrate the 80th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz on Monday, July 29. Audience participation is encouraged while attendees take a trip down the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy’s friends the scarecrow and the lion.
The next day, July 30, Bruce the Bug Guy will be at the library with several bugs for attendees to get up and close and personal with from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. At the same time, children age 2-6 can attend Bug Storytime, featuring a craft, books, songs, rhyme and movement with a bug theme.
In Clearwater, children are invited to attend yoga and story time on July 30 at 11 a.m., and participants should be prepared to get wet on Aug. 6 during the summer reading program’s wrap up with fun indoor and outdoor activities, including a water balloon toss!
“With summer winding down it’s even more important to get your child reading before they return to school,” said Burkhardt. “Every little bit helps your child start school prepared to move forward.”
“Thank you to all the parents, grandparents and guardians for bringing their young readers into the library this summer,” said Bastien.
The goal of the summer reading program is to defeat the ‘summer slide,’ which occurs when students fall backward in learning during their three-month summer break. The benefits of reading during this time are huge. Research has shown that students who participate in summer reading programs score higher on reading achievement tests in the fall than those who didn’t participate.
Mark the remaining dates and join in the fun at the Becker and Clearwater libraries before the summer reading program has come to an end! Both branches are part of the Great River Regional Library system. For more information on programs available at all GRRL branches, visit griver.org/events.