Adventure Begins at Your Library! Summer Reading 2024

“Adventure Begins at Your Library!” at Prince William Public Libraries with our exciting Summer Reading program. From June 10 to August 11, Summer Reading offers opportunities for readers of all ages to explore distant lands, solve mysteries, and become the hero of their own stories. Our recent episode of "Important Library Stuff" welcomes Kristen Burnham, PWPL’s Office of Programming and Events Coordinator, and Greer Helms, Lake Ridge Library Manager, as they discuss the benefits, joys, and memories of Summer Reading.

Starting June 10, pick up a Summer Reading Tracker bookmark at any of our 12 libraries or register online at pwcva.gov/library or through the Beanstack Tracker app. You’ll get a prize just for signing up! Track your reading to earn even more awesome prizes while supplies last. After you read a total of 500 minutes – that’s just 20 minutes a day for 25 days – come into your local library to pick out a free book to keep and be entered into a prize drawing! New for 2024: adults can also pick out a book after reading for 500 minutes!

While Summer Reading is all about fun and adventure, it’s also an important strategy to keep minds sharp. It helps prevent the "Summer Slide," where students can lose academic ground during the summer break. Regular reading enhances vocabulary and fosters a lifelong love of learning. It’s also an enjoyable way to spend the summer between cannonballs at the pool and tag in the backyard!

Prince William Public Libraries has a fantastic summer lineup of free programs and events. We’ll have some familiar favorites, like Dinosaurs with Dinoman and Sing Books with Emily and new programs like Creepy Crawly Critters and Mobile STEM Lab. Visit the Online Events Calendar for programs that engage, entertain, and educate all ages.

If spooky adventures are your thing, you’ll love our new Summer Scares! Program from July 1 – 31. We’ll have programs throughout the month, including a special author visit with this year’s Summer Scares! Spokesperson and acclaimed author Clay McLeod Chapman. Join us for an after-hours event at Haymarket Gainesville Library on Saturday, July 6, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. to enjoy a Q&A session with Chapman.

The Summer Reading program is made possible by the generous support of our corporate and community sponsors and donors. Without our sponsors, we could not continue to offer the quality level of programming our patrons have come to love. Thank you to this year’s sponsors, especially our Naming Sponsor, AWS InCommunities, for their generous support. Their contributions make it possible to offer such a comprehensive and enriching program to our community.

So, get ready to embark on your summer reading adventure! Visit your nearest library or pwcva.gov/library to join the fun and make this summer a season of discovery and excitement.