Start the summer with a book in hand, thanks to this Johnson County program

Megan Nicolas says a summer reading program is one of the reasons her twin sons have become library lovers.

“Over the years, our boys have grown up with the library at every stage of their childhood,” said the Prairie Village mom. “When they were babies and toddlers, we checked out the 6 by 6 Books to Go kits and spent mornings reading at the library. Now, they have grown into middle-schoolers who love the library, have their own library card and are independent library users.”

Plenty of families are looking forward to the The Johnson County Library Summer Reading Program’s opening day on June 2. Participants in the literacy program, which encourages reading when school is out, can choose a free book, and grab their reading log and bookmark. The books will be available at library locations through June 30.

“We want kids to step right into summer with a book in their hand and the opportunity to attend enriching activities that combine learning and fun while building community with local peers,” said Melanie Fuemmeler, the library’s program operations manager.

An official launch party will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 7 at the Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park. Those attending can enjoy jazz storytelling, face painting and sidewalk chalk, and family line-dancing.

The End of Summer Reading Celebration will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. July 31 at Lenexa City Market, 8750 Penrose Lane. It will include a variety of programs, a dancing good time with Mr. Stinky Feet and his band, and a color-themed movie under the stars.

Fuemmeler said planning and organizing the summer reading program is year-round activity for the library.

Every fall, data and feedback on the program are reviewed for adjustments or improvements.

“We also begin reaching out to school districts and local community partner organizations to begin identifying the needs for our outreach book distribution,” Fuemmeler said. “This effort puts over 13,000 books into the community prior to summer reading starting with a goal of addressing gaps in service areas and providing high-quality, high-interest books to reluctant readers or students receiving reading intervention services.”

Then, in June, the library hands out more than 20,000 books through its 14 branches.

“The library also aims to build in-home libraries through the in-branch and outreach book distribution,” Fuemmeler said. “Having plenty of books at home and within arm’s reach naturally promotes an increase in daily reading habits.

“In fact, just 20 minutes of reading a day can provide exponential gains for a child’s exposure to language, the long-term amount of time engaged in text, and as a result a greater understanding of the world around them, leading to increased test scores.”

Summer is important to promote reading to reduce a summer slide, Fuemmeler said.

“Research shows that kids who don’t practice reading skills during times when school is not in session can lose gains in ability made the previous academic year,” she said.

For more information about the summer reading program, go to jocolibrary.org/summerreading