Winnie loves reading, Harriet not so much. Because of this Winnie can keep herself entertained for hours, while Harriet is always complaining, “I’m so bored I could just die!”. These characters from the book, “Wings, A Tale of Two Chickens”, by Harriet Rohmer could not be more diametrically opposed. This children’s book references the classic Dickens’ novel, “A Tale of Two Cities,” which famously begins with “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”  Kids love summer, it can be the best of times, but without effort to keep the brain learning students can lose academic achievement in what has been termed the summer slide. Happily, the Ignacio Community Library has another exciting Summer Reading program underway to keep everyone engaged and entertained with fabulous programs and challenges for all ages.  

This summer’s theme is “Dig into Reading” and will include explorations into archaeology with an emphasis on everyone’s favorite, dinosaurs.  Every Wednesday through July there are age-appropriate activities and older participants meet in the IdeaLab for STEM projects. Adults are encouraged to deposit a bookmark for each book read to be entered into a drawing for some really nice prizes. All the details of this summer’s programs are available in the newsletter available online or at select locations. 

Next time you come through the doors you might be surprised by our new addition, “The Dinosaur Shack.” The playhouse will undoubtedly attract the young at heart to expand their imaginations and hopefully find comfortable nooks to enhance the reading experience. This playhouse was donated by the Telluride Library and disassembled and reconstructed primarily by Jayden with assistance from the rest of the staff, especially when it came to setting up the roof. 

Encouraging kids to read involves making reading enjoyable, interactive, and part of everyday life while giving them choice and autonomy. Children are more likely to read when it feels enjoyable rather than a chore. Use fun voices, acting out stories, or reader’s theater to bring books to life, which helps reluctant readers engage with the text and improves comprehension and vocabulary. The internet is full of suggestions to help find ways to make reading more enjoyable no matter your personality type. 

I may be preaching to the choir, but it is worth re-emphazing that reading is one of the most important factors in a happy and successful life. Study after study confirms that reading builds language skills, vocabulary, and general knowledge that helps students learn more effectively in school and adults improve problem-solving skills and flexibility. 

Summer reading ends on Wednesday, July 29 with a party in the park, reading minutes need to be turned in by Saturday, July 25. Reading is a skill that improves and becomes more enjoyable and easier the more you practice. Reading consistently will help keep your life from becoming the worst of times and develop pathways for making this the best of times