There are Oceans of Possibilities at Montgomery County Public Libraries this summer! Starting June 15, children ages 0-12 and teens ages 13-17 can join the 2022 Summer Reading Challenge! Dive deep to keep up your reading skills, earn e-badges, and do fun activities. At the same time, you’ll be saving the Chesapeake Bay, because this year MCPL is going green.
You’ll complete three missions by reading books, doing activities, and attending virtual or in-person library programs, such as the county-wide kick-off event at Rockville Library on June 18, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County (FOLMC), The Washington Nationals, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). For every completed mission, the FOLMC will make a contribution to the CBF, which in turn will plant trees along the Chesapeake watershed, plant oysters in the Chesapeake Bay, and clean up animal habitats around the Bay area. You’ll be making a big difference in local conservation efforts just by participating.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there are over 23 million metric tons of plastic waste in the world’s oceans and waterways. So this year, instead of small plastic prizes, you’ll earn eco-friendly incentives and e-badges whenever you complete missions. You’ll get a free new book just for signing up for the Summer Reading Challenge! Halfway through the summer you’ll get a voucher redeemable for two free tickets to a Washington Nationals baseball game. And when you finish in August you’ll get a voucher for a book of your choice at the FOLMC Bookstore. Throughout the summer you’ll also earn bookmarks featuring Chesapeake Wildlife Trivia, so you can learn more about the trees, oysters, and animals of the Chesapeake Bay.
You can track your progress and record your accomplishments online using your READsquared account through the MCPL website, and every time you complete a mission you can celebrate at your local library by adding a sticker to an ocean poster.
Teens will earn e-tickets for six prize pack raffles to be run in September. Each pack is loaded with useful and enticing items such as a gaming keyboard, an art set, an instant camera, a solar cell phone charger, and more. Pack themes include: The Rockstar; The Eco Warrior; The Gamer; The Influencer; The Fidgeter; and The Innovative Tinkerer.
The FOLMC is sponsoring live performer events at each library all summer long—that’s 40 programs! Local chapters and branches may sponsor additional events, including STEM programs. A highlight of mid-summer will be Shark Appreciation Week, when you’ll be able to participate in many shark-themed events at MCPL branches. And make sure to pick up Flat Shark Finley to take on all your summer adventures. You can share pictures of you and Finley through social media using the tag #FlatFinley.
To help you find favorite new reads, MCPL librarians have updated the suggested reading lists for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, grades K-6, middle school, and high school, as well as Spanish language lists for preschool through grade 5. There are even MCPL video booktalks to inspire you!
MCPL is thrilled to bring the Summer Reading Challenge! on board with Montgomery County’s Climate Action Plan. The 2022 Summer Reading Challenge! begins June 15 and runs through August 31.