Virginia Beach Public Library’s Summer Reading Challenge for children, teens and adults kicked off June 8 and runs until August 8. There are no reading lists to follow, and all books count, including graphic novels and comic books. In conjunction with the Summer Reading Challenge, Virginia Beach Public Library (VBPL) also provides free programs, ranging from arts & crafts to magicians to petting zoos, all summer long.
The Summer Reading Challenge is for all ages, but it’s especially designed to keep children and teens reading and engaged in educational activities to beat “summer slide,” the learning loss that can occur when children are out of the classroom during summer break. The loss can be equivalent to as much as two months of class time – and it’s compounded annually. Studies show that reading and participating in engaging programs help children retain what they learned during the school year.
Children receive a free book of their choice after logging five books read, with the opportunity to earn other incentives for each additional five books completed. Teens receive a free book just for signing up. Adults receive a prize after logging five book titles and can earn raffle tickets for prize baskets. The more you read, the better your chances of winning.
Participating is easy. Visit www.VBgov.com/SRC to register and to log the titles of the books that are read during summer.
Funding for prizes and programs for VBPL’s 2015 Summer Reading Challenge comes from grants from Virginia Beach Public Library’s two support organizations, The Friends of Virginia Beach Public Library ($40,000) and the Virginia Beach Library Foundation ($17,000).