Lots of cool incentives for kids and teens to read this summer

The Prince William Public Library System is celebrating 30 years of Summer Quest this summer with reading rewards and special events aimed at children and youth from infants through high school. Dig into Reading is the theme for this year’s program.

Summer Quest is a free program that encourages young readers (and even those too young to read to themselves) to enjoy books. From now until Aug. 17, children and youths (or their parents & guardians) and teens are invited to signup online at http://www.pwcgov.org/library/kids or by visiting any Prince William library.

Books read will then be logged in on the site using an honor system. Participants may read books on their reading level or listen to them.

Adventurers, who are infants though those entering second grade, will earn rewards for reading (or having read to them) five, 15 and 25 books. Explorers, children in grades3-5, will be rewarded for reading five, 10 and 15 books.

For middle and high school students, the Wild Reads program offers reading rewards and the opportunity to be entered into an end-of-summer drawing for e-readers and gift certificates worth at least $100 from area merchants.

“For every three books they read, they’ll get an entry into the drawings, with a maximum of nine books and three entries,” said Elizabeth Jones, children’s’ librarian at Central Library in Manassas and this year’s coordinator of the Summer Quest program. “Studies prove that kids lose reading ability if they don’t read during the summer,” Jones said. “They can lose as much as 22 percent. So it’s really important, especially for the younger kids.”

Students in the Prince William County School System who read the number of books required for their grade level (grades K-2, five books; grades 3-5, three books) will receive extra credit at their school simply by turning in their Summer Quest reading log in the fall.

In addition to the reading incentive rewards, youngsters can also receive the “coupon of the week” just for visiting the library. “They have to be signed up for the program, but they get the coupon just for coming to the library,” she said, noting that the coupons will be good for “food and fun,” sometimes for free and sometimes at a substantial discount.

By the end of February, when information on the program went to press, some 70 sponsors had been signed up by the library system’s marketing and developing office, Jones said. “Vendors like providing coupons,” she said. “It’s good for them and good for us.

According to a library system news release, “Thanks to the contribution of more than $1 million dollars from 70 businesses in Prince William, City of Manassas and Manassas Park, the students will receive rewards of ice creams, pizza, pretzels, happy meals from various vendors, bowling, laser tag games, free bus passes, frozen yogurt, and entrance to the County’s waterparks, to name a few.”

At the middle level of achievement, Jones said, participants will receive a coupon good for free admission (younger children) or half-price admission (Wild Read participants) to the Prince William County Fair.

“That’s especially good if have a lot of kids,” Jones said.

Those participating in Wild Read are also invited to write reviews of the books they read and to check reviews written by others and posted on the library website to see what they recommend, Jones said.

Jones was quick to point out that parents need not worry about their children venturing onto the Internet to participate in the program.

“The reviews are self-contained on our website, they don’t go out onto the Internet,” she said. “Librarians will check the reviews for appropriateness before posting,” she said. “And there will be no interaction between kids, just the opportunity to read reviews.”

In addition to the reading incentive programs, the libraries will also offer a wide range of activities for all age levels including storytimes, children’s performers, puppet shows, craft programs and much more.

Among other programs on animals and nature, the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center will present “Animals Dig It,” a program feature live animals, at Chinn Park Library on July 10 (the program also took place at Bull Run, Central and Independent Hill libraries in June).

An insect program, presented by the Prince William County Gypsy Moth and Mosquito Control staff is scheduled for seven locations in July and August.

Music presentations featuring children’s favorite Dave Brewer, Rocknoceros in Concert and the “Uncle Peter Rocks” show, featuring The Invisible Band are on the calendar in July and August.

Puppet performances featuring Puppets and More, the Grey Seal Puppets and Rainbow Poppers: the Really Big Dinosaur Show are also on the calendar. Central and Chinn libraries offer movies based on children’s books on Friday mornings at 10:30 a.m.

“The movies are shorter, so they’re especially good for younger kids,” she said. Until children reach school age, a parent or guardian must accompany them to any activity, she said.

In addition to the children’s program, activities and shows for young adults and adults are also scheduled.

“The programs are aimed at those from six months through adult,” Jones said, directing those interested to check out the Dig into Reading publication, available at all ten full service and community libraries.

Copies of the publication were also distributed at all of the elementary schools in Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park, Jones said, noting that she and other library staff had visited all those schools and “tried to get to as many middle and high schools as we could.”

A schedule of activities listed by library, as well as descriptions of the Summer Quest and Wild Reads programs, is available in the publication.

Jones said that it’s important to note that there will be restrictions on the number of people who can attend each event, based on the capacity of the location.

“Some require pre-registration, some give out tickets or hand out tokens the day of the event,” she said. “The individual requirements and information is available on the individual libraries’ pages in the Dig into Reading booklet,” she said.

For more information, check out the library system’s webpage at http://www.pwcgov.org/library or follow them on Twitter or Facebook.