Teen Read Week 2017

Kewanna Public Library celebrates Teen Read Week with the theme “Unleash Your Story!”

Kewanna Public Library will celebrate Teen Read Week (October 8-14, 2017) with special events and programs spotlighting all the great resources and activities available at the library and to encourage teens from around the area to read for their enjoyment. Thousands of libraries, schools and bookstores across the country will hold similar events centered on this year’s theme, “Unleash Your Story!”

Teen Read Week is a time to celebrate reading for fun while encouraging teens to take advantage of reading in all its forms —books, magazines, e-books, audiobooks and more! It is also a great opportunity to encourage teens to become regular library users.

In recent years, many families have had to adapt to make do with less as a result of the economy. Teen Read Week is a great opportunity for teens and their families to learn about all the free services and resources the library offers.  The library also offers a safe and supervised space for adolescents to engage in creative, educational activities with caring adults and mentors.

Moreover, according to Linda Ruhl, Programming Librarian, strong reading skills are more critical than ever because they translate into better performance at school and better preparedness for careers. This is why it is important to take advantage of Teen Read Week and show teens that reading is a fun and relaxing activity they can do for free.

Kewanna Public Library invites teens, parents and other concerned community members to participate in special programs and events during Teen Read Week These special events include a Reading Contest, Trivia Contest, and making a bookmark using the theme “Unleash Your Story”.  A special Teens in Town will be held on Tues., Oct. 10 @ 4:30 during Teen Read Week.

Parents of teens are also encouraged to celebrate Teen Read Week at home. Kewanna Public Library offers these ideas:

  • Set aside time each day for the family to read
  • Give books or magazine subscriptions to your teen as a gift or reward
  • Share your favorite book with your teen
  • Go online with your teen to learn about new books or authors by visiting http://tinyurl.com/yalsabookawardslists, or use YALSA’s free Teen Book Finder app
  • Host a book discussion group
  • Build an in-home library (thrift stores and yard sales offer an inexpensive way to do that)
  • Listen to audiobooks on trips
  • Create a cozy reading corner somewhere in your home
  • Use meal time to talk about books that you’re reading
  • Parents and caregivers can be role models by making time to read, too
  • Incorporate reading into teen chores, such as reading a recipe when cooking, reading instructions for how-to projects, reading sales fliers to develop a shopping list, and more

Teen Read Week is a national adolescent literacy initiative created by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. It is held annually in October, the same week as Columbus Day. For more information, visit www.ala.org/teenread.