For Children | Cape Girardeau Public Library

Participating in Summer Reading Clubs is as easy as 1-2-3!

Here’s how to participate:

1. Register and pick up your reading club materials

At the end of June, bring your reading calendar to the library to pick up your monthly prizes and an entry into the grand prize drawing. Keep reading…at the end of July, bring your reading calendar to the library to receive a free book and a second entry into the grand prize drawing.

2. Pick up weekly activity sheets

Come to the library each week during the months of June and July and pick up a weekly activity sheet. Complete five or more activities to enter drawings for weekly prizes.

3. Register for (and attend!) library programs and special events

Check out our events calendar here, then come join us for the fun!

Why is summer reading important?

The Summer Reading Club is about so much more than fun. Reading over the summer is incredibly important for students and their academic achievement. Here are three reasons to join:

Summer reading combats "summer slide"

Children who don’t read over the summer experience summer learning loss. That’s right—kids don’t just feel like they’ve forgotten some of what they’ve learned—they actually do forget it. And the effect is cumulative. Kids who lose reading skills over the summer will be two years behind their classmates by the end of 6th grade. By joining the Summer Reading Club and attending free library programs, kids can prevent this from happening!

Summer reading encourages kids to read what they want

This helps instill a love of reading for recreation, and studies show that kids who read for fun often out-perform kids who don’t in school.

Summer reading is 100% free

The Summer Reading Club and all of its associated activities are absolutely free, offering everyone safe educational opportunities throughout the summer.