Summer Reading Club 2012 Kick Off | Events

Summer Reading Club 2012 invites children to Dream Big, adults to read Between the Covers, and teens to Own the Night. The summer reading program includes activities, educational programs, and many chances to win prizes for completing scheduled reading goals. 

Summer Reading Club begins June 1 and continues through July 28. Visit memphislibrary.org and complete the entry form for adult, children, and teens or visit your nearest Memphis Public Library & Information Center to sign up. Summer Reading Club is free and full of educational programs and activities to engage young minds over the summer break. Children’s Services Coordinator, Mary Seratt says Summer Reading Club is important because “Participation in it prevents the summer slump…..Children and teens who read over the summer break go back to school ready to pick up where they left off.” 

Seratt also says during the summer, children and teens are more likely to be allowed to or want to read for fun which will give them the opportunity to develop healthy reading habits. “Habitual readers are good readers, and good readers have the skills it takes to succeed in school and in life,” Seratt commented.

The First Tennessee Foundation is the Summer Reading Club 2012 main sponsor and has provided the opportunity for one lucky child and teen to win a Kindle Fire in a library system-wide drawing for completing scheduled reading goals during the program. 

“Each branch has a wide range of programs that not only promote literacy but that are just plain fun….Theatre Memphis’ ShoWagon has a brand new play that will be performed at each branch with a special lunchtime performance scheduled for the Cossitt Branch. ShoWagon’s Theatre Memphis merry mayhem appeals to kids and adults alike,” said Seratt.

Seratt said she is excited about Baby Bingo, the new addition to the program this year. Parents who talk, sing, read, write, and play with their babies and toddlers over the summer and mark the activities on the Baby Bingo card will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a $50.00 Babies R Us gift card. “Early years are learning years for our youngest library customers and their parents.”

 The adult summer reading club provides an opportunity for adults to be more creative with reading selections. “You can read genres you would otherwise never read,” said Wang-Ying Glasgow, Adult Services Coordinator. She says the American Library Associations’ theme and artwork for adults Between the Covers caught her eye, “you see Scarlet O’Hara reading Frankenstein, and Frankenstein reading Scarlet O’Hara.” Glasgow stated, “Reading takes you lots of places; it’s a constant companion….Sometimes reading takes you home to that comfortable quiet place.” She said she hopes the summer reading club will create, “lifelong readers” and emphasize the importance of reading to all generations.

Glasgow said she thought of a quote from the former President of Israel, Shimon Perez, to be very appropriate for what she said she believes to be true about reading, “To read a book is like going to swim in a sea of wisdom…Endlessly fascinating.”