North Fort Myers Neighbor Living | ‘Adventure Begins at Your Library’ Summer Reading Program offers fun for all ages
No matter the age, the Lee County Library System has something fun for everyone during this year’s “Adventure Begins at Your Library” Summer Reading Program.
Lee County Library System Manager of Programming and Community Outreach Melissa Baker said the theme this is “Adventure Begins at Your Library.”
“It’s going to be from June 1 through Aug. 3. You will see some kick-off programs happening in that last week of May. It starts when the kick-off is happening,” she said. “This year for adventure we are creating a couple different options of how to participate – an online and offline option.”
The online, virtual, option can be found through the READsquared app – the same as previous years. Baker said once an individual is logged into the account, they can choose the 2024 adventure theme program once it is activated.
“READsquared will prompt you to update kids ages and your age,” she said.
The online program will feature adventure themed missions.
“I had a lot of fun with these. These are really fun missions,” Baker said.
Some of the missions include backyard campouts, Olympic themed missions, visiting a book walk at an area park – Veterans Park, Lakes Park and soon to be Three Oaks Park. Others include creating your own escape room, glow in the dark adventure, scavenger hunt, spy tech gadget, treasure map, time capsule and going on some type of stake out.
She said her favorite mission is for the Pre-K aged children – a hot lava obstacle course in the living room where they have to keep off the ground as they make it from the start to finish.
The missions are endless and expand the age groups.
Participants in the summer reading program are encouraged to log their reading throughout the summer through the app to gain points. The points are either logged by every minute read, or a book completed for the younger aged groups, which all towards a reading goal.
“The missions are an extra 100 points,” Baker said, adding that participants are encouraged to combine their mission activities with reading to meet their reading goals and complete the program.
The paper version, which is also available in Spanish, is a mirror of the app. There are pre-K, kids, teen, and adult options for the “Adventure Bucket List Bookmark.”
The missions are similar to the online version with such missions as trying a new food, watching an action video, doing something nice for someone else, making a fort with a blanket, playing dungeons and dragons, going offline for the night and playing board games, or having a dark night with only glow in the dark objects and flashlights.
For both the online and offline version, participants are eligible for book baskets from their library branch, which is filled with award winning book titles, puzzles, journals, games, and literacy activities. Baker said each branch will have a pre-K winner, kids’ winner, teens winner and adult winner.
As with every other summer, there will be free book for every child and teen. The system has 20,000 books to get out to the branches before the Summer Reading Program begins.
“We have a stash of brand-new books that kids can choose from. It’s about keeping that learning loss and summer slide to a minimum,” Baker said. “We know kids that aren’t reading can lose up to 20% of their reading skills. (It’s about) making reading fun and giving kids and teens books and resources to make sure we equip them with the ability to keep reading throughout the summer.”
The system has a community outreach team that is all over the community during the summer to make sure kiddos have access to the Summer Reading Program and receive a free book.
“There are a lot of kids in summer camps that can’t get to the library. The library comes to them. Our outreach teams, they are out there providing the free books at summer camps and various points in the community to make sure they have access to the reading program as well,” she said, adding that it is about reaching beyond the 13 branches. “It’s about keeping kids reading and making reading fun.”
Summer Reading Program free events
Lee County Library System Youth Services Program Coordinator Marquelle LaRue said although all of the branches will have a Summer Reading Program kick-off party, a select few are doing a never before launch with a foam party.
One of the branches is the Northwest Regional Library, 519 Chiquita Blvd., N., from 2:45 to 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 29. LaRue said it a 25×25 square space will literally be filled with foam.
The North Fort Myers Public Library, 2001 N. Tamiami Trail, will have its kickoff party from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, with the event inspired by Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.” “Camp Halfblood” offers participants with the opportunity to claim their cabin and craft their symbol, archery skills and crafting their own Camp Halfblood necklace.
“We are excited to bring on some special kinds of things for the kickoffs,” LaRue said.
Other kickoff parties include Pelican’s SnoBalls, face painters, food trucks and someone on stilts making ballon animals.
There are also many presenters for youth of all ages, ranging from Adam’s Animal Encounters, Bunny Yoga for Teens, Didgeridoo Adventure Down Under, JJ Superstar comedic stunt show, Magically Ever After to IMAG providing a science show that is messy, fun, colorful and loud.
There are also many teen programs ranging from a local author and artist doing a cartoon workshop, how to create your own home recording studio to ancient pottery.
The littles also have special programs, such as Moving the Story off the Page that is an interactive and engaging storytime and Smokey the Bear storytime.
“Some presenters do have a max capacity,” she said. “Check the online calendar or give a call to the branches to see if registration is required.”
The programs can be found at leelibrary.net/summer.
LaRue said teens have another opportunity this summer to earn service-learning hours through the Teen Summer of Service (SOS) online program.
“It opens teens’ eyes and awareness to local civic organizations,” LaRue said. “We are running it for three weeks – biweekly – this year.”
Teens, middle and high school teens up to 18 years old, are encouraged to visit leelibrary.net/SOS to get more details and to register for the program. Registration is open from May 1 through June 1.
Participants will receive program kit bags, which will include information about the three organizations the library is partnering with this summer. The program includes online meetings with the organization with additional options for service-learning projects.
“It gives teens more opportunities from the comfort of their homes. This is the way they can earn those service hours,” LaRue said.
Baker said it is useful for younger teens to get hours while planting that seed to give back to the community. NFMNL
This story appears in the latest issue of the North Fort Myers Neighbor Living magazine, available at locations throughout North Fort Myers.