My daughter told me she had teasingly
asked one of her kids if he wouldn’t just like to stay home on the next to last
day of the school year. No, Mom, he insisted. He really wanted to go to school!
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| image: wikimedia commons |
OK, maybe it was the longer than
usual recess students had been promised that drew him back to the schoolhouse.
But consider the possibilities – what if “summer school” only means doing the
things we like to do? Maybe even getting fun swag for doing it? That’s the idea
behind the Dallas Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge. This Saturday, June 3, at 1
p.m. Dallas Library branches will open the challenge. My local library branch,
Skillman Southwestern, plans to make a party out of the opening, with face
painting, balloon animals, snacks and more. Check your local branch to see what's happening, and sign up at the library or online.
Can’t swing by a library branch
Saturday? Sign up any time through the challenge’s June 3-August 12 duration (ask
a librarian how!) at your local branch or online. But the sooner you accept the
challenge, the more chances you’ll have to win prizes.
Kids ages 0-18 can participate by
reading (or being read to) at least 20 minutes a day. Ebooks and audiobooks
count. (Sorry, video games and website surfing do not.) After logging 10 days
of reading, kids earn a free book of their choice, plus a pass or coupon to
even more fun summer events and attractions such as Dallas Children’s Theater,
Dallas Zoo, Medieval Times, Nasher Sculpture Center, plus eating places and
sporting events.
New giveaways are available at every
10-day reading interval. Plus, kids who log at least 50 reading days by August
12 will be entered for grand prizes such as a behind-the-scenes tour of the
penguin exhibit at the Dallas Zoo, a family four-pack of tickets to a Dallas
Cowboys game, a change to go on the field for a Cowboys game, a tour of the
dinosaur/paleontology lab at SMU, and much, much more.
Darn, you say, dear reader. What
if I’m over age 18? Don’t fret – age also has its privileges! Track each book
you read for weekly and grand prize drawings.
Want extra credit? Post about your
reading on social media with the tag @dallaslibrary for weekly drawings to win
movie passes from Alamo Drafthouse. Want even more credits, you overachiever
you, complete online Learning Tracks – themed activities designed to encourage
deeper explorations of chosen topics.
By the way, did I forget to
mention that all this is absolutely free? Free!
Oh, no, you say, this is only for
Dallas residents. Too true, but similar programs exist at many other libraries.
Check with your local librarian to find out.
***
Now, I’ll mention something that
isn’t on the Dallas Library site. But I know you – you love those
extracurricular activities, right?
So, go the next mile (OK, the next
meter or so) and post your reading adventures on sites such as Goodreads and
Amazon, where you hold the grading pencil and the ability to give writers stars
on their work. For even more fun, send me your book review (preferably not more
than 300 words) embedded in an email to melissaembry01 at gmail.com, for a
chance to see your review featured at this site. Keep it honest and clean (and in English)! I
reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.
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