Submitted by the Whatcom County Library System
The Whatcom County Library System’s annual summer reading program for children, youth and adults begins June 1st. This summer, the County Library System is partnering with WECU, the Whatcom County Library Foundation and the Whatcom Million Trees Project to encourage readers to meet the collective goal of planting 200 trees in Whatcom County. Beginning June 1, learn more and pick up a Summer Reading card at Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) branches or download a card from the library system website wcls.org/summer-reading.
Summer reading cards for teens and adults provide activities to complete. Readers can track their progress on the map and share their findings each time they visit a county library branch. Each activity corresponds to a “sheet”. For every 25 “leaves” earned, a tree is planted by the Whatcom Million Trees Project (up to 200 trees in total).
Activities to earn vacation time include the obvious things: read a book, listen to audio books, attend library events. And the unexpected: take a walk in the woods, write a tree story, draw a tree, or do one of the special activities posted weekly on the WCLS Summer Reading website. The website also includes reading recommendations and a link to subscribe to Summer Reading email updates.
The summer reading kickoff parties will be held Monday, June 26 through Saturday, July 1 at WCLS locations and Bookmobile stops. For dates, times, and locations, see wcls.org/summer-reading or the library system’s online events calendar, wcls.org/events. At the parties, library staff host free craft activities, share details about the library’s extensive summer programs, and offer book recommendations. Teens can choose a free summer reading book to keep. The books given away are funded by WECU and the Whatcom County Library Foundation.
Summer Reading Cards are available in English, Punjabi, Russian and Spanish languages. The WCLS Summer Reading Program ends August 31, 2023. Readers may also participate in the Bellingham Public Library Summer Reading Program. Learn more at bellinghampubliclibrary.org. WCLS and Bellingham Public Library are separate library systems that share a common collection of materials, resulting in an extensive range of choices for neighboring Bellingham and Whatcom County.
“I hope community members will join us this summer as we read for the trees and for each other,” says Sarah Lavender, youth librarian at Ferndale Library and director of the WCLS summer reading program. “Summer Reading is all about the joy of reading. The real reward is when adults and young people discover or are reminded that reading and stories are powerful. They help us grow as individuals and connect as a community.”
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