Summer Reading Challenge Returns to Sebastopol Regional Library

And adults are invited to the party!

By Mark Fernquest

School is out and reading is in! Specifically, the Sonoma County Library’s Summer Reading Challenge has officially returned to Sebastopol after a two-year hiatus due to the Coronavirus shutdown. But while many people associate the program with kids and teens exclusively, adults are invited to join in the fun, too.

“We don’t want to leave adults out,” said Sebastopol Regional Library Manager Matthew Rose. “There’s been lots of research about maintaining academic achievement over the summer with reading. One of the key indicators in the research that helps kids succeed at reading is having adults model that behavior. So the summer reading program for adults is, ‘Let your kids see you doing this activity that we all enjoy as adults and do for fun, and then your kids will be more likely to read.’”

The program is simple in concept, with just enough bells and whistles to appeal to everyone.

“Events play a major role,” said Courtney Klein, Sebastopol Regional Library’s children’s and adult librarian. “Some are homegrown and some are county-wide.” She pointed out that the Sebastopol branch’s multi-page Read With Us Events brochure is divided into sections for Kids & Families, Teens/Adolescents and Events for All Ages, adding that all the events are held on-site, and that — you guessed it — the “All Ages” category includes adults.

A major part of the program is the Earn A Book Challenge, which runs through Aug. 5. Participants of all ages — adults included —  check off 20-minute intervals on their Earn A Book pages as they read throughout the summer. For every hour they read, they are entered into a drawing to win age-appropriate prizes, and they earn a book after completing each of three 5-hour goals. Prize books are offered for all age levels, including board books for babies and a selection of curated books for adults.

“All types of reading are included,” Klein said. “Listening to audio books, graphic novels, comics, magazines, adults, and siblings reading to youngers.”

“Traditionally, summer reading has been aimed at kids so that they don’t lose steam and [they] maintain academic achievement over summer,” Rose said. The Summer Reading Challenge, which has existed for 10 years, used to separate kids and teens from adults, but “that caused a lot of confusion in our messaging of, ‘It’s important to read.’”

Integrating adults with the other age groups has proved beneficial, Rose added. “Any exposure at all helps with lifelong learning.”

Other Summer Events at the Library

• The popular All Ages Paint Party, scheduled for Tuesday, June 20 at 6 p.m., requires pre-registration and consists of a guided class where participants produce their own paintings. It is already filling up fast.

• The two All Ages live-music events — Sabor De Mi Cuba on Sunday, June 25 at 2 p.m. and doRiaN Mode on Tuesday, July 18 at 6 p.m — promise to be very popular, Rose said, adding, “This is Sebastopol. We can’t stop people from dancing.”

• Add the overwhelmingly popular All Ages Sewing in Community event, held every Wednesday in June and July at 6 p.m., and the summer is complete. Not only does the Sebastopol Regional Library have 10 sewing machines of its own for people to use, but people can and do bring their own.

Find out more at www.tinyurl.com/SCLsummerreading. Sebastopol Regional Library, 7140 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol. 707.823.7691 www.sonomalibrary.org/locations/sebastopol-regional-library