“This theme delivers an especially relevant message after a year of isolation" 

WOODLAND, CA (MPG) - Join Yolo County Library’s virtual Summer Reading Program (SRP), themed Reading Colors Your World, from June 1 - August 14. Children, teens and adults can join by logging reading hours, earning prizes, and participating in special virtual programs and activities that will get everyone looking at the bright-colored world with new eyes.

All participants who register for the SRP at: https://yolocountylibrary.org/summer/ will receive a free book and themed activity bag and everyone who completes their summer reading challenge by earning 1,000 points will receive a free book and prize, plus an entry into a final drawing for additional prizes. In addition, adults who complete the SRP challenge can choose to have up to $10.00 in late fees that accrued before April 1, 2021 removed from their account in place of their finisher prize.

This year’s program has even more rewards; every week that a participant logs their reading and/or activities and earns points on Beanstack, a web and mobile application that allows users to engage in reading challenges, log reading hours and books, earn badges and prizes, and discover great books, they will receive an entry for a weekly drawing for a $10.00 gift card, courtesy of Nugget Markets and Target. Additionally, each library branch will provide a new coloring page every week to encourage participants to color their world.

This year’s theme, Reading Colors Your World, focuses on color and the many ways that reading can expand our world through kindness, growth, and community. It encourages participants to get creative, try new things, explore art, and find beauty in diversity.

“This theme delivers an especially relevant message after a year of isolation,” said Youth Services Librarian Katrina Laws-Ewald. “Color is uplifting and vibrant, and it is also analogous with the idea of diversity. When we read stories in which we find ourselves, our families, and our communities reflected and valued, we feel a sense of belonging. When we read stories in which families, communities, and cultures that are different from us are also reflected and valued, we get to see a window into the range of possibilities out in the world. This insight into the minds and lives of others helps build empathy and, in turn, a stronger community.”

Research indicates that summer reading programs help children and teens retain and enhance their reading skills over the summer, provide a haven for community readers, and develop reading enthusiasm. Additionally, adult participation encourages caregivers to play a strong role in their child’s literacy development by reading aloud with their child and modeling good reading behavior. Kids read more, and enjoy reading more, when they can choose what they read. As Newberry medalist Kate DiCamillo reminds us, “Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” Yolo County Library joins libraries across the nation to encourage adults, youth and families to read over the summer. The Summer Reading Program is a project of the California Library Association and part of California’s statewide summer reading outcomes.

The Summer Reading Program is free and sponsored by the Yolo County Library Foundation and the various Friends of the Library groups. For more information or to sign up, visit your local Yolo County Library branch or: https://yolocountylibrary.org/summer/. Connect with Yolo County Library on Facebook at www.facebook.com/yolocountylibrary.org and Instagram at @yolocountylibrary.