Wayne County Public Library launches Summer Reading Club

Wayne County Public Library will offer its free Summer Reading Club for the entire family from May 26 through July 25.

This year’s theme is “Unearth a Story.” Participants may stop by any WCPL location during the program to pick up a reading log or sign up and participate using the Beanstack app.

Children and teens will log time spent reading to earn prizes and/or drawing entries for every five hours read. Adults will log books read to earn drawing entries. Reading materials may come from anywhere including WCPL libraries, home, comic books and audiobooks. Any time spent reading or listening to someone read counts.

Children and teens can read up to 50 hours and earn up to three free books of their choice. Grand-prize drawings will be held after the program ends.

For Wooster City School students, Summer Reading Club will take the place of Club 1000. When students reach 25 hours of reading, they will earn the library’s Summer Reading Club prizes and get to choose a book for themselves and a friend when they return to school.

Summer reading can help prevent summer learning loss. Children who do not read during the summer may lose up to three months of reading progress, and that loss can have a cumulative, long-term effect. By the end of sixth grade, children who consistently lose skills over the summer can be up to two years behind their peers.

Even reading five books over the summer can help prevent learning loss. Reading 10-15 minutes a day as part of a routine can increase exposure to language and lead to increased skill development and retention. The more children read, the better their fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

Wayne County Public Library also will host free special summer programs and events at every location. Programs include Outback Ray, Whiz Bang Science, McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, Raptor Hollow and more. A full calendar of events is available online, and newsletters are available at library locations.

Families also can visit the StoryWalk at Kinney Field off Burbank Road in Wooster for a special story celebrating America250, sponsored by the local Daughters of the American Revolution group.

The Bookmobile and local branches also will host interactive story times at parks with stories, music, sensory play and crafts. Registration is required.

The Wooster Main Library programs will be held at 12:15 p.m. June 10, July 1 and 22, and Aug. 12 at Barnes Preserve, 3396 Sylvan Road, and at 1:30 p.m. June 10, July 1 and 22, and Aug. 12 at Oak Hill Park, 3000 Oak Hill Park.

The Dalton Branch Library program will be held at 10:30 a.m. June 5 at Dalton Village Green Park, 41 S. Freet St.

The West Salem Branch Library program will be held at 1:30 p.m. June 8 at West Salem Fire Station Park, 60 N. Lincoln St.

The Creston Branch Library program will be held at 10:30 a.m. June 15 at Creston Community Park, 10399 Wooster Pike Road.

The Rittman Branch Library program will be held at 10 a.m. June 19 at Rittman Ashton Hall Park at the intersection of South First Street and Shong Street.

The Doylestown Branch Library program will be held at 10:30 a.m. June 22 at Doylestown Memorial Park, 353 Gates St.

The Shreve Branch Library program will be held at 10:30 a.m. July 10 at Shreve Harold Miller Park, South Market Street.