Reading, summer and a whole lot of fun

It’s going to be a busy summer at the library. Every year, the library celebrates summer reading with dozens of programs and hundreds of prizes to encourage kids and adults alike to spend a little time reading, to keep minds active during our area’s busiest time of year. Exercising your mind during this time is pivotal for academic success as a student and even remains important as adults to retain and build critical thinking skills and good mental health.

Many of us fall into the trap of substituting reading with social media usage, but the two are not the same. It’s much like spending three months eating popcorn over a well-balanced meal, because it’s easier to reach. This is especially harmful for kids, who can lose months of reading comprehension and critical thinking skills over summer break, putting them at a disadvantage once fall arrives.

This year, Summer Reading begins June 1. You can begin logging your family members’ reading progress by heading to ebonnerlibrary.beanstack.org, which will qualify you to win prizes including discount tickets to movies and discounts to our local shooting range. If you’re looking for some programs to kick off the summer, you can find those on the library’s event page on the website, while brochures and calendars will be available at the physical library branches soon.

If you’re looking for some events to kick off the summer before the calendars drop, here are three that may interest you. Stop by the WaterLife Discovery Center on Lakeshore on Friday, June 9, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for a nature walk and STEM scavenger hunt. You’ll get to borrow some binoculars and sample collection tools to collect water, dead insects and more to bring back and examine under the library’s microscopes. Beginning June 13, the library will be hosting a three-week drawing class every Tuesday and Thursday at 1 p.m. We’ll also be hosting a teen finance class on June 14 at 3:30 p.m., which is designed to help teens learn how to budget for college and start building their credit to get a jump-start on renting and buying in their future.

Brenden Bobby can be reached at the East Bonner County Library, 1407 Cedar St., Sandpoint, by phone at 208-263-6930, or email at brenden@ebonnerlibrary.org.