The school year may be over, but that won’t stop children from reading.

In fact, summer is when the real reading fun begins. According to a three-year study by Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, kids who participate in summer reading programs increase their skills, while kids who don’t read through the summer months experience some level of learning loss. Luckily, local libraries have the antidote to beat summer boredom and learning loss!

PLACERVILLE & CAMERON PARK LIBRARIES

Placerville Library will kick off its summer reading program on June 14; Cameron Park will kick off on June 11, both programs encompass the theme “One World, Many Stories.” Kids can pick up reading logs from any El Dorado County library, and prizes will be awarded to children who read five hours or more by July 21. 

At Placerville Library, fun events are planned for kids of all ages, including drop-in art at 2 p.m. on Thursdays, a wild animal visit from “Wild Things” at 10:30 a.m. on June 17, a special dad’s story time at 10:30 a.m. on June 18, and a teen program at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays from June 21 to July 12. One of the most anticipated events of the summer – “The Storyteller’s Guild” – will take place at 10:30 a.m. on July 9, where stories from Scandinavia will be presented. “We have some really big events,” says Geneva Paulson, assistant to the children’s librarian. “We have several story times, and it’s not unusual to see 100 kids when we do princess story time.”

At Cameron Park Library, young readers can take part in weekly activities such as Teen Tuesday Crafts (1 p.m.), Fun Fridays (10:30 a.m.), and Wednesday Movie Matinees (1:30 p.m.). Special events for the summer program include a performance by the Fratello Marionettes on June 14 at 1 p.m., “Bubble Fun” with the Bubble Lady on June 21 at 1:30 p.m., and their “Wild Things,” where kids meet wild animals from around the world on June 30 at noon.

EL DORADO HILLS LIBRARY

EDH Library will also kick off their program on June 11 with a party combining storytellers, face painting, games, ice cream and free books and book bags. Children are encouraged to take reading logs to earn prizes, and teens can earn a prize each time they read a book and write a brief review. “Teen Tuesdays” is part of the summer lineup and will offer crafts like tie-dye T-shirts, duct-tape wallets, temporary tattoos and candy sushi. Each Thursday there will be arts and crafts for all ages, and kids can create masks, watercolor projects, origami figures and learn to weave and work with clay. “Pirate Story Time,” complete with a sword-fighting demonstration, is a kid favorite.

The library is also involved in an ongoing project for both teens and adults called “Dress A Girl,” which teaches visitors to sew pillowcases into dresses for less fortunate children around the world. “We’ve already made over 400 dresses,” says Branch Manager, Carolyn Brooks. The library will finish their summer program on August 20 with an 80-foot ship, trebuchets and actors in costume. “We had almost 5,000 people who came to the final event last year,” Brooks says.

It’s obvious there is a lot of community excitement about summer reading, and librarians everywhere are excited to get good books into children’s hands. “It’s important to keep kids interested in books, because if you are a good reader, it will open doors for you,” Paulson says.

For More Details

Cameron Park Library:
2500 Country Club Drive. 530-621-5500,
eldoradolibrary.org/cameron.htm

El Dorado Hills Library:
7455 Silva Valley Parkway.
916-358-3500,
eldoradolibrary.org/edh.htm

Placerville Library:
345 Fair Lane. 530-621-5540,
eldoradolibrary.org/main.htm