Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh challenges kids to read 5 books this summer

The idea of having an entire summer to relax and read five books probably sounds pretty appealing to most adults.

However, it might be a little more of a challenge to coax kids to do it, especially when they’ve been itching to get out and run, swim and jump around after 15 months of the pandemic.

Nevertheless, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has announced its summer reading challenge. Children are being asked to read five books between now and Aug. 31.

“Our focus is encouraging children to read five books. Any five! Children have had a stressful and difficult year, it’s true,” said Shannon Barron, library services manager of the Children’s Department. “So, encouraging children to read books that captivate their attention, spark their creativity, and ignite their curiosity is a good thing.”

As part of the initiative, Carnegie Library has come up with some incentives. It is providing free books to take home for students participating in the Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Summer Boost program and partnering with organizations in the city to give away 10,000 books.

Also, children 18 and under are eligible to get a free book each time they visit the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh this summer. (Children and teens do not need to take part in the library’s official Summer Reading program to get a book.)

Library officials say summer reading is especially important for children this year. They point to studies, including one by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, showing nearly 90% of the world’s student population has had its learning negatively impacted by the pandemic.

“We know this year has been stressful for students, parents and teachers. That’s why we wanted to keep our summer reading goal simple,” said Mary Frances Cooper, president and director of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. “For some patrons this may be their first time returning to the library in more than a year.”

The library has also enlisted the help of some local celebrities to encourage young people by sharing their feelings about reading. Pittsburgh native and “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban, local filmmaker Dean Bog and 100.7 FM’s Melanie Taylor are providing messages of encouragement on the library’s social media channels.

To learn more about the Carnegie Library’s 2021 Summer Reading program, go to carnegielibrary.org/summer.