Summer is just around the corner.
With the bees buzzing and the sun shining, I remember how I felt as a kid in those final few weeks of school.
The anticipation for summer break was something I will never forget. But camping and swimming were not the only activities I was excited about. As a young bookworm, I always looked forward to the Summer Reading Club at the library.
Although I’m far past my elementary school days, I am reminded of that excitement when I see children enter the library, a fun summer approaching to reward them for completing another school year. But what about those unbearably hot days or the evenings when the mosquitoes come out?
What better to do than find a cool spot, pick up a book and escape into your imagination?
Luckily, the Summerland Library has an adventure-packed Summer Reading Club this year with reading challenges, evening programs, and prizes to be won.
This year, the Summer Reading Club theme is World of Curiosities.
Join us in discovering strange, unbelievable, and wonderful new worlds. Summer Reading Club packages are available for pickup at the library for school-aged children from five to 12. In them, you will find your reading log. This will help you count all the reading you do each day.
Finishing your log will earn you a well-deserved medal at the end of summer.
Reading every day is only the start of the fun. Tuesday nights from July 2 to Aug. 6, register for evening programs at the library.
The first program is Galaxy in a Jar, where you will plunge into stories set in the farthest reaches of space. What mysteries are hidden among the stars and planets? You won't leave with all the answers, but you will take home a beautiful jar of stars.
The second program is Optical Illusions. Step into a space where reality bends, twists, and delights the senses. From arts and crafts to perplexing puzzles, we will unravel the mysteries of optical illusions together.
The third program is Chemistry Kids. Get ready for a blast of excitement as we dive into the explosive world of chemistry. Join us for experiments, explosive demonstrations and a scientific story to ignite your curiosity.
Each program is offered twice and will run from 6:45 pm to 7:45 pm. Spaces are limited, so be sure to register beginning Saturday, June 15.
Away for part of the summer? Never fear. You can start the Summer reading club at any point.
And if you can't make it to the Tuesday nights, we have exciting online programs! These include Dino-Mania, presented by the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Exploring the Moon, presented by the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, and an Online Escape Room.
For those readers under the age of five who don't want to miss out on tracking their progress, we have the Read to Me Club. Likewise, for teens, there is the Level Up Reading Tracker.
We look forward to seeing you at the library this summer.
Cait Shaw is an assistant community librarian with the Okanagan Regional Library.
