Summer is finally here. No homework or classes. But what can happen during the summer? Children who don’t read every day will suffer from “reading loss.” This will negatively impact them when they start the next school year. Read with your child. Discuss the content; ask about what is happening in the story. Think of this as exercise. If you don’t use your “reading muscles” they will weaken.
Fortunately, there are many fun and free opportunities for literacy activities at your local library. All branches of the Baltimore County Public Library offer our free Summer Reading Program, open to anyone from birth to adult. This year’s theme is Fizz Boom Read! There are four levels in the club: birth – 5 years old (listening to someone read is an important developmental tool for learning how to read), grades K through 5, middle school, and high school/adult. There are prizes for each level and craft activities in the branches.
Ask us! Our librarians are trained, willing, and able to recommend reading material. We love to connect a reader with the right material. That reluctant reader may just find a book that will spark a life-long interest in reading. When selecting reading material, remember that it doesn’t have to be just fiction. Think non-fiction, graphic novels, poetry, folk tales, and biographies. Think about getting an audio book on CD or Playaway format that will allow the reader to listen and follow along in the print version.
Why not stop by the newest branch in the Baltimore County Public Library? The Owings Mills Branch is located at 10302 Grand Central Avenue. We are right off Painters Mill Road next to the Metro Station. If you use Google Maps or MapQuest you can enter our address. For GPS systems, enter 5048 Painter’s Mill Road. We share the building with the CCBC Owings Mills Extension center.
The library comprises the first three floors of the building, and CCBC has floors three through six. We also house the Hubert V. Simmons Negro Leagues Baseball Museum of Maryland. Our glassed-in children’s area has an early literacy center and six computers with literacy programs. We offer programs on different days of the week, including Sunday.
Older customers will find an extensive collection of print and non-print material, 56 public computers, group study rooms, and a quiet study room. We offer free Wi-Fi, as do all of our branches.
For more information about Summer Reading Club and our program offerings, please call the Owings Mills Branch at 410-887-2092, Pikesville at 410-887-1234, or Randallstown at 410-887-0770 . You may also find us at www.bcpl.info.
We look forward to welcoming you to our libraries this summer. Keep reading!
Barbara Salit-Mischel is Branch Manager, Owings Mills Branch, Baltimore County Public Library. She is currently reading Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek.
