The Hercules Library is back with its annual Summer Reading Festival. Every year, the Hercules Library offers individuals of all ages a method to keep track of their readings throughout the summer. This year, the theme is “Read to the Rhythm,” and the reading festival is from June 6th to August 15th. There are programs available for babies, toddlers, elementary students, teens, and adults. Participating individuals are required to read a certain amount and track their progress with a specific reading log meant for their age group. At the end of this path, the participants receive a free book, raffle entries, and other prizes to congratulate the individual for the successful completion of this reading challenge.
“It offers incentives to kids to keep reading over the summer,” says Hercules’s Youth Services Librarian Gia Paolini. Children participating in this program will be given passes to the Lawrence Hall of Science and the Chabot Space and Science Center, as well as a kazoo to incorporate this year’s theme of music.
As children enter school the following year, this program is intended to smooth the transition from summer vacation to the school year. Paolini explains, “Teachers were noticing that students weren’t reading as well when they came back in the fall, and it took them longer to build up their skills.” With the help of programs like Hercules’s Summer Reading Festival, students can enhance their reading skills and be prepared to excel in the fall when schools reopen.
“It’s supposed to make reading fun,” Paolini adds. Anyone who wishes to track his or her summer reading path can stop by the Hercules Library to pick up a reading log.