Summer is for ... Reading!

Register … read enough books … get free ice cream! That sounds like summer to thousands of kids across the county, as Fairfax County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program starts up on June 21. Beginning then, students can register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library or in branches.

To complete the program and earn a coupon book with great prizes, preschoolers through sixth graders read 15 books (kids can have books read to them) and students entering grades 7-12 read eight books. Participants who read the required number of books by September 3 will receive a booklet filled with coupons from more than 30 businesses and organizations in Fairfax County. The coupon prizes include a free ice cream cone, tickets to soccer and baseball games, bowling, laser tag adventures, admission to water parks, admission to some Fairfax County Park Authority facilities including RECenters, nature centers, a skate park and miniature golf, a free Krispy Kreme doughnut, other discounts and much, much more! The Sherwood Friends are providing a coupon for finishers to take $2.00 off a $5.00 purchase from the Friends’ book sale.  Other local attractions with coupons include Huntley Meadows Park and Mount Vernon Estate.

The Summer Reading Program offers fun activities for every age group. At Sherwood Regional Library we will have such exciting events as a reptile show, a science of sports program, a beach party, spider tales, tricks and stunts, spycraft, book clubs and more. Families can browse online for event details or pick up a copy of the library’s newsletter This Month at any Fairfax County Public Library branch.

Our programs are free but fill up quickly; registration is required for most. Register online or call 703-765-3645 beginning two weeks before an event. Ask for signed interpretation or assistive listening devices when you call (TTY users can call 703-324-8365).

The Summer Reading Program is a cooperative effort between Fairfax County Public Library and Fairfax County Public Schools. The Summer Reading Program is funded through generous donations from the Fairfax Library Foundation and includes $42,500 from the Friends of the George Mason Regional Library and $7,500 from the Friends of the Kings Park Library.

Statistics have shown that reading during the summer can help students retain their reading skills. By the end of sixth grade, children who lose reading skills over the summer are two years behind their classmates. Last year more than 47,000 children participated in the library’s Summer Reading Program. To receive their prize, summer readers must turn in their completed reading logs by September 3.