Library dives into summer reading

STERLING HEIGHTS — The Sterling Heights Public Library is encouraging people to immerse themselves in some good books.

According to Amanda Itria, the library’s public relations and programs coordinator, summer reading season is here, and there is still time to get involved. The current summer reading program lasts until July 22, she said.

Every year, the program has a special motif or theme, and this year’s is “Oceans of Possibilities.” As a result, some library events and decorations revolve around aquatic themes or ocean animals. For instance, a shark mascot visited kids June 6 during a sidewalk chalk drawing event.

Itria said readers may participate in the reading program through the Beanstack app or website. Through that app, they can find their library and make an account that logs their reading habits, she said.

The library says participants may earn badges for completing the program’s goals. According to Itria, adults, teens and youth generally have to read for 600 minutes, and babies need 300 minutes of listening to reading.

She gave a general breakdown of how popular the program is among the different age demographics.

“The vast majority is kids, and then it’s followed by adults and teens,” she said. “Babies is the least.”

The library has accommodations for people with adaptive needs.

Itria said the program also offers some activities that meet the requirements of the reading challenge, such as writing a book review or attending a special program. Teens are invited to a June 30 special event that involves painting a mural designed by local muralist Wendy Popko.

Popko said her new mandala pattern will soon adorn a wall by the library’s teen section, and she is inviting teens who have read at least one book as part of the summer reading program to help color in the design. She expects the mandala to be intricate and at least 6 feet tall.

Popko, who is the co-chair of the Sterling Heights Arts Commission and a library board trustee, said she thinks the project would be a great way to give back to the community while connecting art and reading.

“As a kid, I was a slow reader,” she said. “If there’s something I can do to inspire one kid to pick up a book, then who knows? It might spark an interest.”

 

‘Fishing’ for prizes
Itria said everyone who completes the reading program challenge will earn some sort of prize.

“For the youth, it’s a squirt toy that looks like a fish,” she said. “For teens, there’s s a tie-dye kit. For adults, they can get a tote bag. For babies, a bath toy.”

She added that certain age brackets will have chances to enter raffles for grand prizes. Lucky youth may win a hoverboard, a $100 gift card to Urban Air Adventure Park or tickets to Sea Life Michigan Aquarium and Legoland Discovery Center at Great Lakes Crossing, she said.

She added that teens could win a Visa gift card or an oversized Jenga game. Adults could win a Yahtzee lawn game, a ladder toss game or a $100 gift card, she explained.

“I wanted to stay away from screen-type things this year — get outside,” she said.

Learn more about the Sterling Heights Public Library by visiting www.shpl.net or by calling (586) 446-2665. Find out more about Beanstack and making an account by visiting sterling-heights.beanstack.org.