Summer Reading Fun Ahead!
Article by Stephanie Hobby
Photo(s) courtesy of Billings Public Library
The arrival of June evokes images of camping trips and splashing in pools, but all that summer fun can come at a cost. The so-called “summer slide” settles in when students stop exercising their learning muscles and working their brains, but fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to prevent academic slipping in the summer months.
The Billings Public Library is again hosting Summer Reading. Summer will have barely started when registration opens June 2, and programming starts June 9 and runs through July 25. This year’s theme is “Unearth a Story,” and will have a heavy emphasis on dinosaurs, so if you have a prehistoric aficionado at home, be sure to get them signed up.
This year, guests will include the City of Billings’ Forensics Department and van, Billings Mustangs players, the Gem and Mineral Society, Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Pompey’s Pillar, the Western Heritage Center, and the Yellowstone County Museum. Elevated Science from Sheridan, WY, will return this year to bring fossils and pictures of their ongoing digs, and you can even sign up for a writing class with a Simply Local Writer!
There will be programs and prizes for every age group the library serves, including infants to age five, grade-school children, teenagers, and adults. Thanks to generous community sponsors, participants will have many opportunities to earn amazing prizes, including gift cards to Big Dipper, Pizza Hut, the library cafe, and Red Robin, as well as tickets to Billings Mustangs’ games.
To add to the fun, participants can collect dinosaur-themed “brag tag” keychains to show off their reading milestones. “Every time you get one, it piles up, and they can put those on a keychain or a necklace to show how much reading they’ve done,” said Allynne Ellis, Children’s Librarian at Billings Public Library. “The more reading they’ve done gives them more chances to win prizes.” Those prizes include book sets, gift cards, Kindles, scooters, a trip to Build-A-Bear, Good Martial Arts, and other awards.
Last year, the library saw record participation, with over 1,100 kids and a total of 2,000 participants across all age groups. While teens and adults won’t win scooters or ice cream, they can earn points toward raffle prizes.
Summer Reading wraps up in early August with a free swim day at Rose Park Pool for readers, sponsored by Billings Parks and Rec. More details will be available on the library website as the date gets closer.
Ellis said the program helps prevent the “summer slide,” when kids are vulnerable to losing reading, vocabulary, and comprehension skills during the break. “Summer reading is so important,” Ellis said. “For adults, we want them to be reading because it's fun and relaxing. It's a good way to get out of your head and your life. And for the kids, we don't want them to slide back and lose all the important skills that they worked really hard to build. We want them to go back to school in September, ready and rolling to go.”
To get signed up, visit Billings Public Library either in person or online!
