Summer Summer Summer Summer Summer Challenge

Join The Sisters tomorrow June 16, 2011 at 1pm
we're helping Benzonia Public Library kick off
their Summer Reading Program!

Summer Reading, what's the buzz all about? Just search these two words, go ahead just like this: “Summer Reading”. Can you believe how many things come up? Now change the search parameters to include most recent activity, try a Realtime Search –isn’t that wild, there is a new post just about every MINUTE on Twitter. Try a News Search, all the latest news articles that include “Summer Reading”. Pretty wild, it seems everyone is talking about reading this summer!

So, what’s the big deal? Oh, that’s right it’s almost SUMMER! We’ve been listening as friends count down the days to Summer Vacation, were you counting down? Summer officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere on June 21, 1:16pm (Eastern Daylight Time).

Are you excited about Summer Reading? Do you have different plans for reading while school is out? Does your library have a Summer Reading Program?

"One World, Many Stories" 2011 theme for Library Summer
Reading Programs, set by the "Collaborative Summer Library
Program (CSLP), a grassroots consortium of states working
together to provide high-quality summer reading program materials
for children at the lowest cost possible for their public libraries."

According to the American Library Association the benefits to readers in a summer reading program include:

• encouragement that reading become a lifelong habit
• reluctant readers can be drawn in by the activities
• reading over the summer helps children keep their skills up
• the program can generate interest in the library and books

The Books for Walls Project has BIG plans; during July and August our Challenges will focus on Summer Reading, helping YOU find your way to books and authors that you might enjoy. In addition, we'll offer Writing Challenges; ever wonder how writers come up with all those stories. Imagine: there is a story in every book, every book! and a human being (just like you) dreamed the story up! Now imagine this: you have a story inside of YOU, this summer we are going to share tools to help you tell your story.

We’ve enlisted the help of librarians (thank you, wonderful librarians) who are going to comment on Challenges and share their wonderful wisdom. Did you know that one of a librarians jobs is to be available to YOU and help you find a perfect book? Librarians are constantly reading and researching trying to find ways to help readers find their way to library resources that they need. (If you are a librarian and want to join the ranks, send us an email and we’ll share the details.) In addition, we asked poet Sarah Kay(Project V.O.I.C.E) for permission to use one of original, amazing, and simple tools to help you find the way to your own story and she said, "yes!"

The Books for Walls Project Summer Reading and Story Program starts on July 6^th 2011. So after you're done celebrating, picnicing, and watching fireworks on the 4^th stop by and join us. If you’d like to receive our posts via email, sign up here:

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Now, for the Summer Summer Summer Summer Summer Challenge, tell us about your Summer Reading:

• Do you make plans?
• Have a required reading list from school?
• Know any great tools for finding books? 
• Can you think of a perfect book to read during the summer? 
• What are you up to this summer?
• Join in, tell us a story!