Jackson County Memorial Library Summer Reading Program
Summer Reading Home Run Rally

Important Information – Please Read Carefully

1.      Everyone is invited to join the Summer Reading Program, children to adults!  Registration begins on Monday, June 2^nd when you will receive your playboard. You can begin tracking on this date, too.

a.      There is no deadline for registration, but understand the later you begin the program, the less time you have to meet the reading goal.

2.      This year’s reading challenge is about time spent reading, not the number of pages.  We’ve created a Minor League and a Major League playboard for you to keep track of reading time.

a.      For the Minor League, each square represents 15 minutes (divided into 3 5-minute blocks for easier tracking). If you complete all the squares, you will have read for 12 hours this summer.

                                                              i.      This league is intended for children aged baby to 7, if they choose.

b.      For the Major League, each square represents 30 minutes (divided into 3 10-minute blocks for easier tracking). If you complete all the squares, you will have read for 24 hours this summer.

                                                              i.      This league is intended for children aged 8-17, and adults. However, children under 8 who would like a harder challenge may opt in to this league.

3.      There are also prizes along the way as you make it to base, and even just halfway to a base.

a.      As you reach a red star square, you’ll receive a small prize.

b.      As you reach each base, you’ll receive an additional prize.

c.      If you make a Home Run, you’ll be entered to win one of 6 grand prizes!

4.      We understand it’s totally possible to make a Home Run in the first week, but to help the fun last all summer, we’ve set collection dates for each “base” prize.  You do not have to make it to base by that date, but you cannot collect your prize until after that date. And you can absolutely take as long as you need to make it to a base, even collect all the prizes at the end. We just cannot hand out all the prizes in the first week. You will find the dates on the playboards next to each base.

5.      As stated above, this year you will be keeping track of how many minutes you read, not pages. We want summer reading to be fun, not a chore or assignment so this year we are focusing on reading intentionally in an enjoyable way. Books can be counted multiple times, as we know young children enjoy reading the same books over and over. You may also count audiobooks, magazines, ebooks – any interaction with reading counts.  Reading in any form encourages literacy, and a love of reading is born from reading something you like, and that is the ultimate goal of the library’s Summer Reading Program.

6.      Books do not have to come from the library, although we do highly encourage library checkouts for the program. 

7.      We also ask that you please read only books on your reading level. We hope that by participating in our summer reading challenge, you are keeping the summer slide at bay and continuing to grow your mind. We won’t be checking each book you read, but we hope you honestly choose books that are equal to or will improve your reading proficiency.

8.      Entry into the grand prize drawings does not guarantee you will win; it means you have a chance to win, and the odds of winning depend on how many others enter their tickets for a particular prize.

9.      The Summer Reading Challenge will end on Friday, July 25^th, and you will have until Thursday, July 31^st to collect any remaining prizes. The Grand Prize drawings will be on Friday, August 1^st.