The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative is inviting residents of all ages to turn the page on summer boredom by joining its annual Summer Reading Challenge, with registration opening Monday, May 25.
Part of the ‘Art of Reading’ initiative, the program encourages children, teens and adults to log their reading throughout the summer while earning prizes and digital badges along the way. Participants can begin tracking their progress starting Monday, June 1, using the Beanstack Tracker app or website.
Jason Rogers, programming manager, said the challenge is designed to combat the ‘summer slide,’ a common learning loss students experience when school is out.
“It is intended to keep families and the community reading throughout the summer, when reading and learning tends to slow down a bit,” Rogers said.
Children and teens, ages 0-18, are challenged to read for a total of 24 hours, while adults are encouraged to complete four books. Along the way, participants can earn incentives at registration, midway and upon completion, including books, badges and themed items. Some prizes have been provided by the Tampa Bay Sun Football Club.
In addition to milestone rewards, participants will be entered into grand prize drawings for items such as tickets to ZooTampa at Lowry Park and tech prizes, including AirPods Pro, a Nintendo Switch Lite and an Echo Show. Prize drawings will take place on Saturday, August 1, with winners having until Monday, August 31, to claim their items.
The program also includes partnerships like ‘Reading with the Rays,’ where youth can pick up a game card at their local library branch to track reading progress baseball-style. Completed cards can be redeemed for prizes and a savings voucher at Suncoast Credit Union locations.
Additionally, readers can participate in ‘Score Through Stories,’ another incentive-based program that rewards reading time. Rogers noted that hours logged count across all programs, giving participants more chances to win.
While the program emphasizes youth literacy, Rogers said adults play a critical role.
“It’s so important for us to keep our minds engaged so that we are constantly learning,” he said. “We’re constantly making a better community and a better society.”
To sign up and learn more, visit https://hcplc.org/summer.