July 2, 2021

Dear Summer Reading Program,

I think I should start by saying I miss you. I haven’t participated in a summer reading program since middle school. That’s not to say I haven’t been reading. In fact, it is probably because I started reading so much that I stopped the summer programs. I just outgrew and outpaced them. But I have you to thank for that growth.

I remember my early summer reading programs. I remember the chart I was given to fill out as I read books. I remember the prizes we’d get to collect each week at the library. And I remember the grand prize: a gift certificate for a personal pizza and one free book of our choice. While the pizza was most definitely something child-me looked forward to immensely, I knew I was competing for that free book.

Books were, and still are, very expensive. Not only did the library give me a chance to read books I otherwise would not have had access to, but the summer reading program gave me the chance to earn books that I would not otherwise have owned. I still have one of them: Princess Nevermore by Dian Curtis Regan. It was a touch above my maturity level at the time (boys are icky!), but it was free, and I earned it, and I loved it. I read it over and over and every time I read it now, I am reminded of you and the lasting gift you’ve given me: passion.

Passion for reading is a love that is never satisfied. It grows and grows, seeking more and more books. I grew up at the library, one of the few places in tech saturated Silicon Valley that actively encouraged and rewarded literacy and a love for fiction. While other kids were off on vacations or summer camps or playing with the latest gadgets and toys, I was at the library with my chart and my books. And I consider myself blessed. I didn’t go to Disneyland or camp, but I was more well-traveled than any other kid my age. I went to lands beyond this one, times far into the future and the past. I played with magic and science. I met royalty and heroes, defeated great evils and learned about myself and the world and peoples around me. My summers as a child were some of the greatest summers I have ever had because of you.

And I’m still here. My summer reading program is now a year-long reading program, but unfortunately no one gifts me a pizza or a book at the end of it. But I still have a lot of fun, and I still learn a lot of lessons, and I owe it all to you for starting me on this path and teaching me that reading is not just fun and fancy, but also worthwhile and rewarding.

So, while I am not participating in the Summer Reading Program any longer, know that somewhere out there I am reading with you still.

I love you,

Jenna

Princess Nevermore by Dian Curtis Regan

Just because I stopped the summer reading programs, doesn’t mean you have to. Check out your local library’s website for details on their programs—for kids and adults!