The summer reading program is always something that I’ve done, ever since I’ve been able to read at least. Every summer my mom would take me to the library and we would sign up for the program; I would pick out a whole pile of books so that I could get my prizes as soon as possible. This year–along with last year–was a little bit different. Instead of in-person check-ins, I opted to go online and use Beanstack. In a lot of ways, I liked Beanstack better. You almost always have a device around you so it’s easy to keep track of how much you’re reading. Another thing I really liked about it is the ability to write book reviews. I didn’t do it as much this year as I did last year, but I enjoyed it. I was able to talk about the book I just read, whether I wrote about how it put me in a slump or took me out of one.
Another important aspect of the summer reading program is the prizes. Obviously people that choose to participate in the program genuinely like to read, but the prizes are a nice incentive. This year the big prize had to be the AirPod Pros. Winning them was probably my main goal for summer reading, other than just reading for fun. Unfortunately, I did not win the prize, (though I think I should’ve taken the initiative to write this post) and nor did I win any of the other prizes. The other prizes, despite not being an extremely nice pair of AirPods, were still worth winning tickets for: different theme baskets and gift cards.
The summer reading program also has a bunch of different in-person programs. Two that I was planning to attend were the Andy Warhol Museum tote-bag making program and the astronomy/planetarium one hosted by the Carnegie Science Center. Unfortunately, due to my busy summer schedule, I couldn’t go. Nevertheless, some of my friends went and said they really had a good time. One program I did end up participating in was the teen mural. Everyone who wanted to participate received a blank canvas to decorate, and at the end, everyone’s canvas would be hung up to make a giant mural. This was super chill and gave me and others an opportunity to help decorate the library’s teen space. I got to make a little bookshelf painting and my sister even made a dragon drawing!
To end this blog post, the summer reading program truly is a super chill and fun activity for not just teenagers to participate in, but for everyone to do. Anyone who enjoys reading can have fun vying for prizes and participating in different in-person programs. I’ve always enjoyed the summer reading program, for as long as I can remember, and this year was no different.
– G. P., Teen Advisory Board Member
