Robey Memorial Library to celebrate Teen Read WeekTM with the theme “It’s Written in the Stars: READ!”
Robey Memorial Library in Waukon will celebrate Teen Read WeekTM October 7-13 with special events and programs spotlighting all the great resources and activities available at the library and to encourage teens from around the area to read for their enjoyment. Thousands of libraries, schools and bookstores across the country will hold similar events centered on this year’s theme, “It’s Written in the Stars: READ!”
Teen Read Week is a time to celebrate reading for fun while encouraging teens to take advantage of reading in all its forms - books, magazines, e-books, audiobooks and more. It is also a great opportunity to encourage teens to become regular library users.
In recent years, many families have had to adapt to make do with less as a result of the economy. Teen Read Week is an opportunity for teens and their families to learn about all the free services and resources the library offers. The library also offers a safe and supervised space for adolescents to engage in creative, educational activities with caring adults and mentors.
Moreover, according to Cate St. Clair, Robey Memorial Library Director, strong reading skills are more critical than ever because they translate into better performance at school and better preparedness for careers. This is why it is important to take advantage of Teen Read Week and show teens that reading is a fun and relaxing activity they can do for free.
Robey Memorial Library invites teens, parents and other concerned community members to participate in special programs and events during Teen Read Week. Pick up a Scavenger Hunt form at the Front Desk and learn more about the library. Prizes will be awarded upon completion and participants can also enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card. Forms will be available Monday, October 8 through Saturday, October 13.
Teens are also invited for Pizza & a Movie, enjoying pizza and snacks while watching “A Wrinkle in Time” (PG). In that movie, Meg meets three supernatural beings who transport her through the universe to rescue her father, who mysteriously disappeared and is being held captive by an evil force.
Robey Memorial Library patrons can join thousands of readers worldwide in the largest global digital book club, Big Library Read, through the library. From October 1-15, booklovers can borrow, read and discuss award-winning author Katherine Locke’s “The Girl with the Red Balloon” ebook with no waitlists or holds by visiting http://bridges.overdrive.com or downloading the Libby app. More than 19,000 libraries and schools around the world are participating.
Parents of teens are also encouraged to celebrate Teen Read Week at home. Robey Memorial Library offers these ideas:
• Set aside time each day for the family to read
• Give books or magazine subscriptions to teens as a gift or reward
• Share a favorite book with teens
• Go online with teens to learn about new books or authors by visiting http://tinyurl.com/yalsabookawardslists, or use YALSA’s free Teen Book Finder app
• Host a book discussion group
• Build an in-home library (thrift stores and yard sales offer an inexpensive way to do that)
• Listen to audiobooks on trips
• Create a cozy reading corner somewhere in the home
• Use meal time to talk about books the family is reading
• Parents and caregivers can be role models by making time to read, too
• Incorporate reading into teen chores, such as reading a recipe when cooking, reading instructions for how-to projects, reading sales fliers to develop a shopping list, etc.
Teen Read Week is a national adolescent literacy initiative created by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. It is held annually in October, the same week as Columbus Day. For more information, visit www.ala.org/teenread.
