The Summer Reading Program officially kicks off on June 1 in all Roanoke County libraries, including Vinton.
To celebrate the event, there will be a party at South County Library that day from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with a moon bounce, a rock-climbing wall, and children’s activities, along with fun and food for all ages.
This year’s theme for Summer Reading, which extends through August 3, is “Reading Takes You Everywhere.”
Organizers say the theme “is not merely about travel. It is about how through reading one can explore, discover, and experience people, places, and things that one would not normally encounter. Exploring this theme includes reading fiction and non-fiction that is reality-based, but it also includes reading stories based purely upon imagination.”
To coincide with the theme, the library has put together a variety of programs that “encompass travel, destinations, and discovery. Participants can learn about Appalachia through an author talk, find new travel hacks, venture into a fantasy world through tabletop gaming, go back in time with genealogical research, discover the future with 3D printing, and even find Bigfoot.”
Visit the Vinton Public Library to sign up for the Summer Reading Program. Upon registration participants will receive a packet on how to complete the program. Readers can stop whenever they want or log up to 150 hours.
Participants reach Level 1 by reading 10 hours. Those who reach Level 2 (50 hours), Level 3 (100 hours), and Level 4 (150 hours) will receive a prize after completing each level, with even more prizes distributed throughout the summer. All books, audio books, and graphic novels can be logged.
Roanoke County Library says the benefits of summer reading are clear. Studies have shown that students who participate in summer reading programs score higher on reading achievement tests at the beginning of the school year than those who didn’t. Parents report that students who spent more time reading in the summer were better prepared for school in the fall and read more confidently.
In addition, Summer Reading Programs remind children “reading is for fun, not just for learning.” More than 82 million children attend library programs every year.
Studies also indicate that students who read in the home and use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source for lifetime learning. Numerous studies show that access to books and magazines is directly related to higher reading achievement.
Story time at the Vinton Library gets under way again on June 18, with Book Bugs for ages 0-36 months on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. and Preschool Reading for ages 3-5 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11 a.m.
A special program is scheduled at the Vinton Library on June 15 at 10 a.m.— a performance of “A Year with Frog and Toad” by Mill Mountain Theatre (MMT). This musical tells the story of a year in the life of two amphibian friends and a host of other woodland characters. Songs about flying, swimming and sledding will take young audiences into a fantasy forest of new friends and adventures.
MMT will perform this show around the region at schools, libraries, parks and neighborhood venues to delight families. Admission is free and MMT will distribute free books to student audience members, as part of their initiative connecting theatre to literacy.
The complete schedule for “Frog and Toad” in all area libraries can be found online at http://millmountain.org/production/year-frog-toad/.
The calendar for Roanoke County Summer Reading events and library programs is available online at https://indd.adobe.com/view/9abf6172-529c-4459-93a7-3f1c71e00a5d.