Katie Peterson | Staff Writer
The Combined Arms Research Library Summer Reading Program officially kicks off May 31 and runs through Aug. 8.
The theme for the year is “Reading Colors Your World” with Mr. Green Crayon from “The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, serving as the program mascot.
“Reading colors your world. It seems so simple, but it can be really, really deep,” said Sierra Hochstatter, community library technician. “When you read something, you don’t have to focus on colors. You dig deeper into it.
“What does this book tell me about my life? What do I connect with? Who did I learn about that I hadn’t learned about before? When I go through the world now, do I think, ‘That reminds me of this book that I read, and I got this from it’?” she asked. “I hope everybody really takes it to heart and really examines their world through their books.”
Participants can sign up at https://carl.beanstack.org. Through Beanstack, participants can log their minutes to earn prizes and participate in other programs.
“We really recommend the Beanstack app,” Hochstatter said. “There might be some surprise winnings through the Beanstack app.”
The goal for the program is for participants to read a combined 100,000 minutes.
“Every single thing that you read or has been read to you counts. If you read an article, if you read a cereal box, if you listen to an audiobook, it counts,” Hochstatter said. “You’re reading and you’re learning.”
The program is open to all CARL patrons with prizes separated by age groups including children 0-4, 5-12 and 13-17, and adults 18 and over.
“With kids, you worry about the summer slide. You don’t want them to come into (the next schoolyear) behind,” Hochstatter said. “As adults, we’re not focusing as much on the summer slide. We just think we’re going through life when we don’t have to worry about school, but we need to keep reading as well. When you read, you’re still improving yourself and keeping your skills sharp, your mind ready.”
For more information about the program and the available prizes, visit https://carlcgsc.libguides.com/Community/SRP21.
Face coverings are required when picking up prizes for any patrons who are not fully vaccinated, including children. To limit the amount of time spent at the library, Hochstatter recommends picking up prizes when picking up any pre-requested books for checkout.
Along with the reading challenge, there will be five StoryWalks — featuring “Handa’s Surprise” by Eileen Browne, “Bear Sees Colors” by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman, “Little White Fish” by Guido Van Genechten in English and Spanish, “Leonardo, the Terrible Monster” by Mo Willems, and “Hey-Ho to Mars We’ll Go: A Space-Age Version of ‘The Farmer in the Dell’” by Susan Lendroth and illustrated by Bob Kolar — drawings for prizes at the end, chalk walks, Rhyme Time Thursdays and more.
For more information, visit the CARL Facebook page.
