Library Encourages North Tulsa Kids to Get in the Game – Read!

   Children who read during the summer are much more likely to retain their reading skills and succeed when school starts again in the fall.

To encourage kids to keep reading over the long break from school, the Tulsa City-County Library System offers an annual summer reading program with numerous rewards and prizes, and hundreds of free events to attract kids to the library. Thanks to a grant from a local foundation, this year the library system is adding incentives and events for every child who lives in north Tulsa.

The Meinig Family Foundation and the Tulsa Library Trust are sponsoring “Get in the Game-Read!” to provide literacy outreach to children who traditionally do not use the library, do not have a library card, do not have transportation to the library or do not have books in their homes. Through “Get in the Game – Read!” children who attend school in north Tulsa will receive a free children’s book when they visit the library this summer.

Tulsa City-County Library is partnering with 14 Tulsa Public Schools on this project. Participating schools are: Alcott, Anderson, Bryant, Burroughs, Celia Clinton, Greeley, Houston, Jackson, Lindsey, Penn, Roosevelt, Sequoyah, Springdale and Whitman. In May, each student at these schools will receive a coupon to redeem for a free book at the following north Tulsa libraries: Maxwell Park Library, 1313 N. Canton; Rudisill Regional Library, 1520 N. Hartford; and Suburban Acres Library, 4606 N. Garrison. In addition, the library will offer a reading magic show at each school to encourage students to join the summer reading program.  The “Reading is Fun” magic show will be performed by Brad “Bradini” Evans, a movtivational speaker and educational entertainer.

“Every year our lowest participation in the summer reading program is from schools attended by kids who need the program the most. This summer we will begin tracking school-by-school participation in the summer reading program,” said Kelly Jennings, children’s coordinator for the library system. “We know that kids who read succeed. Our goal is to complement the school experience and promote lifelong learning and success. Every child deserves the success reading affords.”