North Central Regional Library Readies Annual Summer Reading Program

North Central Regional Library is getting ready to kick off its annual Summer Reading Program.

The program offers prizes to encourage children and teens to read during the summer months away from school and offers a full lineup of fun and free activities at its 30 libraries in Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Okanogan and Ferry counties. This year’s schedule includes puppet shows, theater performances, science and technology workshops, author and musician visits, and weekly craft and story times.

“Not only is the Summer Reading Program fun but it encourages children of all backgrounds to build reading skills, prevent summer learning loss, and prepare for a successful school year,” said Abby Osborn, children’s services director for NCRL. “Summer reading also promotes family togetherness by providing engaging activities for all ages.”

Signups for the summer program will begin at the libraries as soon as school is out in early June. Children and teens can log their reading minutes and hours and collect prizes along the way. At the end of the summer, raffle drawings will be held for larger prizes.

Adults can also participate by recording their reading minutes online to earn a chance to win a Kindle Fire and Amazon gift card.

Last year, more than 7,600 children, teens and adults collectively logged nearly 95,000 hours of reading during the summer.

Here’s a rundown of some of the programs that will be offered in NCRL’s libraries this summer: