Take your mark…get set…GO READ! Summer Reading Club starts on June 1 at the Northbrook Public Library, and everyone from babies to kids to teens to adults can be a winner.
This year’s Summer Reading Club theme is Read for the Win—a perfect match for the Summer Olympics—and participants of all ages can sign up, read books, and enter for their chance to win amazing prizes as they complete their summer reading goals.
Adults can sign up for Summer Reading Club in the Reader Services department. For each book they read, participants will earn chances to win gift cards in weekly drawings, as well as entries for the Grand Prize giveaway: an iPad mini. Adults who sign up will also receive a free water bottle, and by completing at least one reading log, they will receive a free book at the end of Summer Reading Club, which ends on August 31.
“A lot of people sign up for Summer Reading Club because they like to explore new books,” said Reader Services librarian Tracy Gossage. “A lot of participants end up trying something they wouldn’t have tried without Summer Reading Club. The suggested reading lists we create are based on the theme, and they help introduce readers to new authors and new subjects.”
While books and eBooks might be the most common ways to participate in Summer Reading Club, participants can also enjoy audiobooks and graphic novels as well.
Kids, teens, and babies can also participate in the Library’s Summer Reading Club. Once they sign up, kids have the option of logging either the number of minutes they read or the number of books; whichever they prefer.
“People who participate in Summer Reading Club have varying abilities. The Youth Services program is for anyone from birth to grade 12,” said Youth Services Manager Kelly Durov. “We want everyone to be comfortable reading whatever is best for their reading level so they have fun reading all summer long.”
Kids who sign up for Summer Reading Club and cross the finish line by completing their reading logs will earn prizes like coupons for local businesses or a special gift. Plus, anyone who achieves their reading goal receives a free book. Kids are encouraged to come back often to enter the weekly prize drawings and explore the Youth Services department for more summer reading fun.
“Because we have a sports theme this year, we’re going to have some interactive displays where people can try to do obstacle course-style challenges while they’re in the Library,” said Durov. “Those displays will change every week or so, so every time you come in, there will be something new to try.”
Last year’s Summer Reading Club saw 405 adult participants and 2,326 child and teen participants; the Library is looking to boost the number of participants again this year across all age groups.
“This year’s ‘Read for the Win’ theme is unified across the Library. We’re hoping that will bring in some new participants this year,” said Reader Services manager Ruth Hafner. “Adults who would initially bring their children to the Youth Services department to sign up for Summer Reading Club may find their way up to Reader Services, too.”
