Contact: Margaret Keefe, Coordinator of Youth
Services
Mid-Hudson Library System
845.471.6060 x35
Picture This…Imagine
That…READ!!
Summer
Reading Program
(Hudson Valley, NY) – Picture
This—The whole family makes a trip to their local public library to select
some great books and videos to enjoy together! Imagine That—You log onto
a website where the family can build a roller coaster together! These
activities and many more are all possible for families who take part in the
2003 NYS Public Library Summer Reading Program, Picture This…Imagine That…READ!
This Statewide theme will be
used by many of the public libraries across the Mid-Hudson region this summer
when they offer wonderful programs to local children, teens and their families.
Public libraries encourage children and teens to read for pleasure and have
some fun this summer. Studies have shown that those children who read over the
summer retain their skill levels and are better prepared to meet the challenge
of the new school year in the fall.
The whole family can get
involved by making regular trips to the local library to select from a huge
range of materials and then setting aside some family reading time together.
Many libraries offer incentive prizes to encourage families to take part. In
addition, many libraries will be giving away Heart of Art Culture Cards, which
entitle up to four family members to discounts at area museums and historic
sites. Visit your local library to get all the details of their summer
programming. You can find a listing of Hudson Valley public libraries at http://www.midhudson.org/alpha.html.
Picture This…Imagine
That…READ! also offers a great interactive website at http://www.summerreadingnys.org/
Here children from preschoolers to teens can find a wide variety of activities
and games to inspire their imaginations to soar. Parents will find helpful
hints on how to make reading and literature fun for the whole family. There are
links to all the museums taking part in the Heart of Art cultural tourism
program as well as other museum adventures around the world.
The 2003 Picture
This…Imagine That…READ! theme is an artistic one that celebrates crafts and
the performing and visual arts, including drawing, painting, acting, magic,
music, crafts, film, photography and much more. Public libraries around the Mid-Hudson region will reflect these
themes in offering programs including poetry, books, puppets, writing, stories,
music, magicians and many other activities.
Public library shelves are chock-full of wonderful reading material
about any subject you can imagine—for infants through teens.
We encourage you and your
children to visit your local public library and see what wonderful
opportunities they have to offer over the summer for the whole family. We hope when you are making your summer
plans that the library will be on your A-list.