GRAY PUBLIC LIBRARY
5 HANCOCK STREET * GRAY, MAINE
207.657.4110 *
Summer Reading 2021!
Welcome!
Summer is almost here! And the Summer Reading Program is about to begin! If you are signing up your child for the program, please use the "Sign Up" button found on this page. Grown-ups, no need to sign up but you can find more information on activities for the adult summer reading program at the bottom of this page. Check back as we will update this page with upcoming virtual events!
A Message from Mrs. George:
Friends,
Summer is upon us and I wanted to fill you in on what this year’s summer reading will look like. I wanted to thank all of you who took part in our “grab and go” craft and science kits and our Facebook story times that were offered this last year. Though it wasn’t our “normal” way of doing things, I think it kept all of us in touch with each other and hopefully you had fun doing all of the kits.
This summer we again will offer summer reading virtually (let’s hope this is the last summer we must do this!) We have created a webpage that will offer you virtual visits with Chewonki, and new to us this year, Teachers of Science. We have put together craft and science kits to go to keep you busy and will offer Reading BINGO, new Story Walks, a reading log to keep track of what you read, and a book scavenger hunt. We will continue story times on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
My hope for you is that you continue to read this summer- I have continued to order new books and they are sitting here waiting to be read and shared – so sign up, come in and READ!
I look forward to hearing and seeing you a lot this summer!
Quick Links
Summer Reading Events
14 JULY
10:00 am - Chewonki: Calling All Birds (via Zoom-email library for link)
28 JULY
4:00 pm - Teachers of Nature: Meet Delrita the Elephant (via Zoom-email library for link)
Maine is full of awesome places to explore nature! Two fun experiences we have come across are the gnome homes at Pride Preserve in Westbrook and the Giant Trolls exhibit at the Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. Click on the links for more information!
Summer Reading Challenge: Get Outside and Explore!
Kids' Stuff
Crafts!
We've got 'em! Two different craft kits will be available this summer. One during the week of July 6th and and one the week of July 27th. If you are unable to snag one of our kits, join in the crafting fun from home by downloading our instructions. Directions for the July 6th craft kit can be found here and directions for the July 27th kit here.
Science Kits
Due to the popularity of our science kits in March we have decided to add another round of science magic to the summer reading program! Science kits are available starting July 20 and available on a first come first served basis. One kit per family please! Missed out on the kits? Download all of the science experiments here!
Special Presentation!
Mrs. George!
A 2021 Summer Reading welcome from Mrs. George!
Other Activities
We have plans for summer reading fun all of June and July! Check out the fun below!
Story Walk
We will be showcasing three wonderful stories on our Story Walks this year. Each story will be up for a few weeks. Find them on the side lawn at the library!
Book Jars at the Library
Take a guess at what book is in the jar and you could win a prize! See below for more information.
Book Scavenger Hunt
Time to go for a hunt inside a book! Find the items on the list while you read. Print the list out here or find it at the top of this page under "Quick Links".
Nature BINGO
Get outside and have some fun! Print out a Nature BINGO card and see what you can find!
Reading BINGO
Read different kinds of books and record them on your reading log to get BINGO and receive a raffle ticket! See below for more information. Print out a BINGO card here are at the top of this page.
Reading Log (for kids)
A fun way to keep track of your reading throughout the summer. Print it here or under find it under "Quick Links".
Need reading recommendations? Find the a printable copy of the Chickadee winners here and the Maine Student Book Award winners here. Happy reading!
Fun for Everyone!
Reading BINGO
This year we are challenging everyone of all ages to read something different! We have Reading BINGO cards for both adults and children. For each BINGO you achieve, you receive an entry into our summer reading raffle! Contact the library or bring your BINGO card in to receive a raffle entry. Each patron can enter more than once so get reading! All entries must be received by Saturday, July 31. Drawings will be the first week of August. Printable BINGO (for adults) card can be found here or at the top of this page.
Book Jars
Another great chance for everyone to win fun prizes! We are bringing back BOOK JARS! A book jar is a large container that holds clues to the title of a book. For example, if your jar contained clues to Charlotte's Web, you can include a plastic pig, a plastic spider, and a blue ribbon. We will display the jars and patrons will guess the title of the book in the jar.
If you would like to create a book jar for our book jar display, please contact the library to sign up. You must sign up in order for your book jar to be included. The theme of the summer reading program is Tails and Tales so we are asking all book jar creators to select a book title that falls within that theme. If you need assistance finding a title, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. All book jar creators will receive a prize! Click here for more information on creating a book jar.
Book jars will be on display at the library starting June 15th. We will display each round of book jars for two weeks to give everyone a chance to view the jars and make their best guess. A drawing for prizes will be at the end of each two week period.
