For Immediate Release: June 10, 2010

“Make a Splash” by Joining the Oakland Public Library’s
2010 Summer Reading Program

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(Oakland, CA)—The Oakland Public Library invites Oakland’s youth to “Make a Splash” with a book this summer. That’s the theme of the 2010 Summer Reading Program, a chance for young bookworms, ages 13 and under, to read their way to great prizes starting June 12 and running though August 14, 2010. Kids, ages 13 and under, are encouraged to visit one of our branches or the Main Library’s Children’s Room to sign up and start reading. (Pre-readers can participate by having someone read to them.) Prizes include books and tickets to some of Oakland’s hottest attractions.

The Summer Reading Program is a fun way to encourage kids to maintain their reading skills over the summer. Children may read anything they want for the program, so they can develop their own interests and a love of reading. Numerous studies have found that children who select books for themselves, and participate in reading as a leisure activity, improve their reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, and writing skills.

To entice young people to use Oakland’s libraries, we’ve lined up a summer’s worth of free events featuring live animals, puppet shows, storytelling, music, magic, comedy, arts and crafts, and more. The fun begins with a Summer Reading Program Kick-Off Party on Saturday, June 12, 2 – 4 p.m. out on the Children’s Room patio, at the Main Library, 125 14th Street. Children can have fun with watercolor painting, led by the Museum of Children’s Art, as well as finger painting, getting temporary tattoos, and other activities. Entertainment will be provided by the Swazzle Puppets, who put on spectacular glow-in-the dark puppet show.

Sponsors of the 2010 Summer Reading Program include Aquarium by the Bay, California Academy of Sciences, Chabot Space & Science Center, Children’s Fairyland, Fentons Creamery, Grand Lake Theater, Great America, Hometown Buffet, Lake Merritt Boathouse, Lawrence Hall of Science, Oakland/Alameda Ferry Services, Oakland A’s, Oakland Ice Center, Oakland Museum, Pasta Pomodoro, Raging Waters, and Zeum.

For more information about the program or to see a schedule of the many free events taking place this summer at your neighborhood library, please call (510) 238-3615, or visit the library’s Website at www.oaklandlibrary.org. Staff at any branch library can also provide you with a calendar of its events. The Oakland Public Library is a department of the City of Oakland.

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