TEXARKANA, Texas -- It's time to dive deep into books with the Texarkana Public Library's Summer Reading Program.
"The theme this year is 'Oceans of Possibilities,'" Public Service Librarian Morgan Chance said. "The theme is nationwide for all libraries, I think from school libraries to academic libraries."
The program will take place from June 1 to July 22, with the opportunity to sign up online or in person at any time during the program.
"We will be having Big Rig Days this year," Chance said, referring to visits from large trucks such as fire engines. "I contacted the fire chief and we are going to have water. We are going to get to use the firehose, which will be pretty cool. The kids will get to play with the sirens."
The summer reading program is for all age levels, including teens and adults. If a child finishes his or her reading hours, he or she will be able to pick out a plush sea creature to fill with stuffing as a prize. Teens and adults who finish their reading log will get their name entered in a drawing to win a treasure chest full of prizes.
The program will also have several craft times, movie times for children and the older crowd, and story time. For music, there will be a few in-person performances by Marshall Mitchell and virtual performances by Kinder Songs. Balloon Man Robb Holiday will also make a few appearances throughout the program.
"We hope this will keep kids engaged in reading, but we're also really trying to have some fun," Chance said. "Hopefully we can help kids find a love of reading."
While traditional books are an accepted form of currency for the reading log, Chance also mentioned that audiobooks and graphic novels are more than welcome on the reading log.
(For more information about the Summer Reading Program, visit txklibrary.org starting June 1.)
Pictured at the Texarkana Public Library are Captain Daisy, her First Mate Benny, Cap’n Sammy “The Seasloth” Lazyjacks, Captain Morgan and Pepper the Parrot, mascots for the library's Summer Reading Program. The program begins June 1 with "Oceans of Possibilities" as the theme. (Photo courtesy Texarkana Public Library)
Treasure Map Reading Log for the Texarkana Public Library summer reading program. The program begins June 1 with "Oceans of Possibilities" as the theme. (Graphic courtesy Texarkana Public Library)