Summer Reading Program at Irvington Public Library

For children who love to read, Irvington Public Library is the place to be this summer. 

With every 10 books a child reads, they receive a prize. It could be a pencil, pen, or an eraser—miniature things that attract kids. And at the end of the summer there’s a pizza party, and more incentives, like book bags. 

The Summer Reading Program runs from June 23 to Aug. 18, the day of the pizza party. The program happens at various times throughout the day and includes story time for preschoolers, game day, crafts days, and magic shows. 

Registration has begun, but it’s still open for babies through 8th grade. Sometimes 9th graders can join too. It’s for children who read on their own, or children who can be read to. 

According to Nnenna Chima, head of Children’s Services, the average kid will read between 20 to 25 books during the summer, though some have read more than 100. 

Chima has been working as head of Children’s Services at Irvington Public Library for 25 years. “I grew up in Nigeria,” she said. “There, we didn’t have the public library as it is here.”

Chima said that kids can have any book they want at the Irvington Library—up to 20 books.

 “If I can support what I didn’t have, that is good,” she said. “Kids are excited. They want more (books), why not? Give them more. I know a family with four kids. Everybody had bags with big books. That’s nice for kids to love books like that. Kids are really into books. They read.” 

What Chima finds popular—among both boys and girls—are series. When kids read a book from a series and they like it, they ask her if there are any more books in that series. 

Over the years Chima has received positive feedback from parents regarding the Summer Reading Program.

“Parents are happy we are doing this,” she said. “They like it when we give them book bags.” 

Throughout the years, Chima watched kids coming to the library and has seen them grow up. “Some are now married,” she said. “To me, it’s fulfilling.” 

In addition to the Summer Reading Program at Irvington Public Library, there’s also a program called Study Buddy. A group of teenage volunteers help elementary kids speak English.

“Some come in from Haiti and South America and can not speak English,” said Chima. “It’s difficult for them to do their homework. Parents can’t speak English either. Those teens are helping them do that. They volunteer. They’re not being paid.”

Anyone from the Irvington school system is welcome to participate in the Study Buddy program. They can contact the library for more information. The program is for children from kindergarten to fifth grade. 

To learn more about the Irvington Public Library, visit: https://www.irvingtonpubliclibrary.org/