As summer approaches, the Maricopa Public Library is preparing to launch its Summer Reading Program.

Library manager Angela Howell calls this “our biggest event of the year.”

The eight-week program not only brings families through the doors of the library, but also keeps children and adults engaged in reading during the long break from school.

At its core, the Summer Reading Program is about fostering a love for reading.

“The biggest purpose for the summer reading program is to keep the kids and the adults engaged in reading over the summer when they’re out of school,” explained Howell. “It’s really important because we try to find a way to make reading fun and exciting.”

Participants log their reading minutes through a user-friendly app called Beanstack. To put this is millennial core-memory terms, think of this as an updated “Book It” program but “on a much grander scale.” The more minutes logged, the more rewards they can earn.

But the program isn’t just about books. It’s a full slate of interactive events and hands-on activities.

“We have several large events and then we’ve got a ton of smaller events,” said Howell.

The smaller ones, often limited to around 20 attendees, tend to be craft-based and more intimate. Larger events, some with space for 260, range from science and magic shows to cultural experiences like taiko drumming and Polynesian dance, blending fun with education.

“We always try to have an element of education to things,” said Howell. “Not only do the kids get to experience the Japanese drums, but they get to experience a little bit of the Japanese culture.”

For younger participants, Grammy-nominated children’s singer Papa Hugs makes an appearance, bringing songs and excitement tailored to toddlers.

One of the strongest incentives to keep kids’ noses in books is the program’s reward system.

“They get prizes based on minutes,” Howell explained.

Local businesses donate coupons and free items ranging from cookies and ice cream to aquatic center passes and laser tag sessions. If you read enough hours, you get a prize.  And it’s not just kids reaping the benefits.

So, why invest so much energy into a reading program?

“We want people to come to the library,” said Howell in the library’s atrium, busy with afternoon readers. The library offers movies, video games, fiber arts groups and even Dungeons & Dragons clubs, alongside educational tools like Playaways and Oodles (kid friendly digital devices). “We don’t just have books anymore.”

But most of all, the program combats the notorious “summer slide”, the learning loss that can occur during summer months.

“Kids lose a huge portion of the learning that they received the previous school year,” said Howell. “If we keep them reading, we keep them engaged, hopefully they won’t lose that.”

In recent years, the program has grown substantially in both participation and scope.

“Last year we had 944,182 minutes read and logged,” Howell noted, more than double the 2023 total.

Participant numbers soared to 1,298, with attendees earning over 11,000 digital badges.

Is this the year the program will break 1 million minutes read? Time will soon tell.

Howell also offered some insight for families who may not be able to participate directly. “Reading isn’t just a book,” she said. “Turn the captioning on when kids are watching a movie or a cartoon. Even a lot of the video games… have whole storylines.”

Encouraging reading in unexpected ways can keep kids sharp, even if they’re not nose-deep in a novel.

Signing up is easy. Families can register through the Beanstack website or app. “You log into this, you create an account for your whole family,” Howell explained. Reading minutes count for both parents and young children when they read together. “Hopefully that’s an incentive to get parents to … actually sit down and read to their kids.”

For those without internet access, the library offers in-person help. “We always have a table here. One of my staff members or a volunteer will sit at and help people sign up,” said Howell.

With a growing list of activities, community backing and nearly a million minutes read last year, the Maricopa Public Library’s Summer Reading Program is proving more than a seasonal pastime.

The Summer Reading Program starts June 1 and runs through Aug. 1. You can sign up by visiting the Maricopa Library’s website.

As Howell puts it: “They look forward to it … which to us is a huge win.”