2010 Summer Reading Program

Monday, June 14  to  Saturday, August 21

What is the Reading Club?

•   On Monday, June 14, you may begin earning prizes by reading or listening to books, comic books, magazines, newspapers, audiobooks, Dial-a-Stories, Cuéntame algo stories, or Tumblebooks.

Who may participate?

•   Kids of any age, toddlers through high school, may have books read to them or may read their own books. Children who read to other children may count those books for themselves too, as long as they have never read the book before.

When do I register?

•   Monday, June 14, is the starting date and you may register anytime during the summer. There’s no cost to register. Just come in when you’re ready to report on your first book(s) read. And be sure to pick up some Reading Tickets to help you keep track of all your reading.

How can I earn prizes?

•   For every five “books” you read or listen to, turn in a completed reading ticket. This ticket may be used for one of two things: either a token for the library’s vending machine or a “Sand Dollar.” Each ticket also makes you eligible for the grand prize.

What are Sand Dollars?

•   Instead of getting a vending machine token, you may turn your completed reading tickets in for Sand Dollars that may be used to purchase items in the library’s store. These Sand Dollars will need to be saved up as items in the store cost anywhere from 2 to 20 Sand Dollars.

What is the Grand Prize?

•   All of the reading tickets turned in over the summer will be used for a countywide drawing for a brand new laptop computer! So the more books you read, the better your chances of winning. The drawing will be held on Wednesday, September 15 at the Berks County Public Libraries’ System Board meeting. The winner will be notified by mail.

How do I count books?

•   A “book” is counted by how long it is:

        Less than 50 pages ................ 1 book read

        From 50 to 100 pages .... ........ 2 books read

        From 101 to 150 pages ........... 3 books read

        From 151 to 200 pages ........... 4 books read

        From 201 to 250 pages ........... 5 books read

            Continue this pattern for books over 250 pages.

•   Remember not to add pages of several books together; just count one book you’ve finished reading at a time. Please have your “books” counted when you come to the library to report. If you’re lucky enough to use more than one library, you must count different “books” for each library.

Audiobooks, Dial-A-Story, Cuentame Algo, Tumblebooks:

•   To figure out how much an audiobook counts, look the title up in the online catalog and see how many pages it would be if it were an actual book. The weekly Dial-a-Story or Cuéntame algo stories count as one book read as does a title from the story book (picture book) section of Tumblebooks. Tumble Readables will need to be treated as audiobooks (see above).

How do I report on my books?

•   Reporting is easy! All you have to do for a book to count is:

         A.  Tell your parents or another grownup, or

         B.  Draw a picture about the book, or

         C.  Write a short book report (2 to 3 sentences)

•   Don’t forget that the last day to report on your books in your library is Saturday, August 21, 2010.

How do I win a backpack?

•   Every week, each library will raffle off two backpacks from the tickets turned in over the past week. The backpacks are compliments of the Friends of Berks County Public Libraries. In addition, some libraries will be selling backpacks for 20 Sand Dollars in their library stores.

What should I read?

•   The choice is all yours—as long as it’s a book you haven’t read before. You may read books from this library or from another library. You may borrow a book from a friend or read a book that you have at home. You may read books by any author or about any subject that interests you. You may even read and count magazines, comic books, and newspapers. Just think about all the fun you’ll have reading stuff you’ve never read before!

How long does the Reading Club last?

•   You may start reading and filling in tickets on Monday, June 14 and continue until Saturday, August 21, 2010. This will be the last day to turn in your completed Reading Tickets and get your library prizes.