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Summer Reading Club makes learning an adventure
June marked the start of the Summer Reading Club at all local branches of the Columbus Metropolitan Library and Southwest Public Libraries. According to Wendy Morano of the Hilltop branch of Columbus Metropolitan Library, last year almost 80,000 young readers and adults participated in the reading program – making it one of the largest programs in the country. Morano said this year 1,163 kids, 358 teenagers, and 429 adults at the Hilltop branch have signed up for the program. The main goal of the reading club is to encourage local youths to continue reading for fun when school is out, continually building important reading and comprehension skills. The library feels adult participation is important to model good reading habits for the younger members of the community. Participants have the opportunity to earn prizes for their efforts as well, from free admission to Zoombezi Bay or a Columbus Blue Jackets game, to flash drive wristbands or a Chipotle burrito party for 10 friends – readers can start winning prizes as early as logging four hours of reading. In addition to the assortment of prizes and raffles the libraries such as the Hilltop branch have scheduled weekly activities to help engage the community. “A lot of kids don’t know they enjoy reading, so you try to introduce it to them in lots of different ways,” Morano said. Events like “Explosions and Doom!” where experiments found in books are conducted, to exploring ancient creatures in “Dinos for a Day,” these events illustrate the knowledge and entertainment that can come from reading books. “The most important thing that the library wants to stress, is kids that keep reading through the summer are better prepared when school starts in the fall,” Morano said. “They don’t lose any of those skills they worked on all through the school year.” Individuals may continue to sign up for the Summer Reading Club through June 30. For information or to register visit www.summerreadingclub.com
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