Summer Reading Program Can Be Fun for the Whole Family

This is the last week of school for most students within , Moreland School District and , but that doesn't mean that reading should take a summer break.

The Santa Clara County Libraries summer reading program kicked off last week, but students of all ages as well as adults can sign up at any time.

"We want adults to model for their kids and those around them," says Cheryl Houts, . "That reading is still important."

Houts says that the program, which runs from June 1 through August 31, is no long just for young children but for teens and adults as well. They can share books with one another online, comment, swap, etc.

"For teens and kids, we want there to not be a gap," Houts says. "Keep their reading skills up. We provide incentives and the program to help them track what they’re doing."

Adults receive a book bag and book light when they join, teens get a book bag and USB memory stick and younger kids get a book mark and sticker. When they are halfway through the program, they also get a pencil and upon completion they get a book.

"We believe that reading is intrinsically rewarding," Houts says. "This is just sort of an enhancement."

Reading isn't limited to simply books, she says. Magazines, audio tapes and playaway, a preloaded mp3 player are all ways to keep reading skills during the summer.

"We want to involve total families in continuing to read and not just books but magazines, whatever they want to read," Houts says. "We don’t care. We’re not the library police."

The summer reading program One World, Many Stories registration is available at the Campbell Library for kids, teens and even adults. 

• Sign up in person or online at http://santaclaracountylib.org
• Earn a prize by setting a goal and keeping a record of the titles read this summer.
• Kids who haven't learned to read yet can have their parents read to them–or listen to recordings. There are audiobooks on CDs and cassettes to check out and even download. And Tumblebooks, semi-animated books for the computer, are available on the library website.
• For questions, call 408-866-1991 or email Campbell_Manager@library.sccgov.org.
• Winners at each of the libraries in the Santa Clara County Library system will be announced August 26.