HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Herrick District Library is sending its little turtle friend, Swimmy, to the moon this summer.
The library’s annual summer reading program will count the number of minutes patrons – both kids and adults – log on their summer reading charts. Each minute counts as one mile in the 477,800-mile roundtrip for Swimmy the Turtle, who lives in the children’s department aquarium at HDL’s main library.
Kids and adults alike will log how many minutes they read and check off activities.
Swimmy’s adventures can be found on his Twitter account @HDL_Swimmy.
The annual summer reading program asks patrons to read, of course, but fun activities also play a role.
“Learning is much more than just opening a book,” HDL librarian Amanda Heidema said.
Summer reading is a library staple, but this year HDL is augmenting its summer reading program with a summer writing contest.
The Our Universe of Stories short story contest will encourage writers young and old to put their stories down on paper.
“We love celebrating and showcasing the talent of our community members – young and old,” Heidema said.
The Our Universe of Stories contest was a teen program that kind of snowballed, Heidema said, because people of all ages and backgrounds should put their stories to paper.
All authors and winners will be celebrated at HDL’s Story Celebration Ceremony 7-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. All entries will be bound into a book available for checkout at both library locations.
HDL will accept entries June 1 through Aug. 1 in five categories: ages 4-7, ages 8-10, ages 11-13, ages 14-17 and ages 18-plus. Late entries will not be accepted.
Complete rules are available at either library, 300 S. River Ave. or 155 Riley St., or at online: tinyurl.com/hdlshortstorycontest. The coversheet required for each entry can be found at tinyurl.com/hdlshortstorycontestsubmit.
Each winning author will get a gift card to either Barnes and Noble or Meijer, depending on the category: $100 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place.
Questions? Email Heidema at aheidema@herrickdl.org.
Other summer reading program activities include “give your baby or toddler a book to ‘read’ whileyou’re in the car or on the bus” for the youngest patrons; “read past your bedtime” for older kids andadults.
HDL patrons can sign up at either library location, 300 S. River Ave. or 155 Riley St., or atherrickdl.beanstack.org. Participants can record their miles as they go online, or by using the Beanstack app, or when they turn in their paper trackers at the end of the summer. Paper summerreading charts can be turned in to either HDL location between July 22 and Aug 10.
Those who going online or using the app to record their miles will be entered to win a $50 Meijer gift card. All ages of reader, from birth to adult, who completes the activities and reading time will receive a free book. Teens who complete the challenge will also be entered to win gift cards.
Children who read four or more books over the summer do better on reading comprehension tests inthe fall, according to Scholastic Canada Ltd.
The ‘summer slide” — loss of reading skill over the summer — is real, especially for lower-income children.
According to a Johns Hopkins University study, summer learning loss in the elementary school yearsaccounts for most of the achievement gap in reading by ninth grade.
Children who see their parents read, tend to read more themselves.
Herrick District Library is located at 300 S. River Ave. in Holland and 155 Riley St. in Holland Township.
Learn more at Herrick District Library at (616) 355-3100 or visit herrickdl.org.
