Summer reading adventure begins at the Brunswick Library

BRUNSWICK — The Brunswick Library is encouraging kids to go on a reading adventure this summer. Since the school year has come to a close, summer reading kicked off at the Brunswick Library on Friday. Children's department supervisor Kelly Halleen said this year's theme is "Adventure at your Library." Parents who have elementary school-aged students can take their kids to the library and pick up a game board, she said. Kids will then mark down each day of reading, and they have to read for 30 days before school starts. After 15 and 30 days of reading, they will receive a small prize from the library. "We recommend 20 minutes a day," Halleen said. "It's not by books because every kid reads at a little bit of a different pace." Both Brunswick Schools and St. Ambrose Catholic School require their elementary school students to take part in the summer reading game. Halleen said it is a nice partnership because the game brings children inside the library. "We want them to come into the library, and we want to meet them," Halleen said. "We want to help them find books. We want them to love the library like we do." Brunswick Library has displays in the children's department showcasing recommended reads based on different interests, such as animals or video games. She said the special displays allow kids to pick up a new book easily. "Ask us for recommendations because we love to share reading," Halleen said. To kick off the program on Friday, Brunswick Library held an event featuring crafts and adventure in the woods themed presentations by the Whizbang Science Show. "Having that big celebration just gets them more excited to read for the summer," Halleen said. Reading over the summer is beneficial because studies show it helps to prepare students for the next school year since they are not losing the skills they learned over the school year, she said. "They need to continue reading, continue exposing themselves to different vocabulary and different places, whether they're real or magical," Halleen said. "Keep that imagination going and keep reading over the summer because literacy is so important." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.