By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Just last month, the Westwood Public Library (WPL) wrapped up their annual Summer Reading Program. According to their website, this fun program is “designed to engage all age groups in exploring new ideas, books and activities. As you read books and engage in the activities, you are eligible to win badges and prizes.”
This year’s program started off on June 1st where participants could start logging their reading time and participate in activities all located on the Beanstack app and/or website. There were four different Summer Reading Programs geared towards different age groups. These included a Bookworms Summer Reading Challenge for Birth-Preschoolers, a K-6 Summer Reading Program for Kindergarten to 6th graders, a Teen Summer Reading Challenge for Grades 6 - 12th and an Adult Summer Reading Challenge for those eighteen and older.
Helping to run the three youth programs was Kristy Pasquariello, Head of Youth Services at the WPL. When talking with her about these programs, she exclaimed that they were another great success for the WPL. “The Summer Reading Programs went really well this year,” Pasquariello explained, “and we had such a successful turnout, with the most signups ever across all ages. In total we had over 1100 participants in our summer reading program for kids between the ages of 0-18 and over 250 participants in our adult summer reading program!”
Not only were the participants excited about these programs, but so were all the WPL Librarians. “We really enjoyed seeing families come in throughout the summer excited about reading,” Pasquariello stated, “and we love giving book recommendations to anyone looking for their next great read. We also enjoyed many wonderful programs such as the Whalemobile and Vinny the Bubble Guy. Summer is always a fun time at the library!”
It is Summer Reading Programs like these that truly allow all participants to be excited and eager to read. For the WPL Librarians, they definitely believe this to be a huge beneficial factor. “Summer reading programs can be a great motivation to keep young students reading throughout the summer,” Pasquariello detailed, “especially when it is not part of homework. We love seeing kids cultivate a love of reading for the fun and enjoyment part of it and summer reading challenges can be a natural path for kids to discover the joy of losing oneself in a great story. That said, Summer Reading is not just for kids! Reading is a stress relief, can help you learn something new, and will let you travel even if you don't leave your couch. We want adults to experience the fun of summer reading and hopefully bring a bit of joy into their lives via all that the library has to offer!”
With another major Summer Reading success this year, many are eager for what next year’s WPL Summer Reading Programs have to offer. For more information about the previous programs, please visit the WPL website at www.westwoodlibrary.org.
