Newmarket Public Library reading clubs keep kids reading during summer break

NPL programs allow parents to get involved in reading with their kids, writes Lorne Chase

Yorkregion.com
June 7, 2021
Lorne Chase

Summer break lasts eight weeks: a long time to go without opening a book.

To encourage kids to read while school is out -- and have fun doing it -- Newmarket Public Library is participating in the annual TD Summer Reading Club.

Co-created by Toronto Public Library and Library and Archives Canada, and sponsored by TD Bank Group, the annual club is aimed at pre-readers, aged six to 12 years old. It is held at libraries across the country.

“The TD Summer Reading Club encourages reading during the summer months by making it a fun activity,” says Susan Hoffman, the library’s Head of Children’s Services. “Children get a logbook to keep track of the books they read, earn badges for completing various levels, and get a certificate and rewards package at the end of the summer.

“It creates a sense of accomplishment that the children enjoy,” she continued.

Newmarket Public Library sponsors its own clubs for pre-readers and teens.

Young adults over 12 can participate in the Teen Summer Reading Club. They keep track of the books they read, earn points toward a certificate, and are eligible for an end of summer prize draw.

They can also check out a recommended reading list and enjoy online games, including a virtual escape room.

For pre-readers aged three to five years old, and their parents, the library offers the Read-to-Me Club to coincide with the TD Summer Reading program, but children younger than three can participate as well.

This allows parents to get actively involved in reading with their children. Parents can keep a log of the books they read with their kids throughout the summer, and be eligible for a prize draw when the club ends.

As a tie-in with the reading club, staff in the library’s ‘Children’s Services’ department have organized a number of online programs throughout July and August.

In addition, the library will be co-hosting author presentations and special events throughout the summer. And popular children’s entertainer Russ will return for a series of online concerts.

This summer, children and teens can enjoy plenty of fun in the sun reading, as well as interactive online programs, author events, and concerts -- all part of the library’s reading clubs.

Online registration begins Saturday, June 19 at READsquared. Reading logs will be available for curbside pickup at the library on the same date. All of the library’s scheduled summer reading club programs will be listed under Events on READsquared, and they will also be announced through the library’s social media.