An article by Sharon Rawlins, Youth Services Consultant for the NJ State Library, about the State-wide Summer Reading Program appeared in July’s NJ Afterschool Action, a monthly e-newsletter put out by the NJ School-Aged Care Coalition for afterschool programs. Sharon is a member of the coalition’s advisory committee.
The New Jersey State Library and local libraries from across the state have partnered with the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority to encourage readers to “Read Like a Library Champion” during their local library’s Summer Reading Program by giving them the opportunity to win tickets to IZOD Center events by logging in the books they read at at www.njlibrarychampions.org. Discount tickets for select IZOD Center family shows are also available at www.IZODcenter.com, by using the code LIBRARY.
Congratulations to the 25 summer readers who won a family four-pack of tickets to see The Wiggles on Aug. 17 by participating in their local library’s program:
Demetrick Family – Clark Library
Bertinato Family – Clifton Library
Schwartz Family – Clifton Library Allwood
Bartram Family – East Brunswick Library
Fiumaro Family – North Edison Library
Mauer Family – Fanwood Library
Kusznier Family – High Bridge
Quinn Family – Howell Library
Krempasky Family – Hunterdon County Library
Sammet Family – Kenilworth Library
Klesitz Family – Kinnelon Library
Johnson Family – Roxbury Library
Goriscak Family – Sussex County Library
Pennino Family – Jefferson Library
Lincoln Family – Old Bridge Library
Catania Family – Oradell Library
Dharia Family – Princeton Library
Silva Family – West Windsor
Steinfeld Family – South Plainfield Library
Fritton Family – Warren County Library Franklin Branch
Hart Family – Waldwick Library
North Family - Warren County Library Franklin Branch
Siuffe Family – Wayne Library
Hecht Family – Wayne Township Library
Abdelfattah Family - Alfred Baumann Library West Paterson
The contest for free tickets to see Sesame Street Live from Sep. 30 to Oct. 3 started August 1. To enter go to www.njlibrarychampions.org. Contests to win tickets to see Disney Live! On Nov 12-13; and Disney on Ice Nov. 23-28 will start soon.
For the past eight years, The State Library has supported the NJ Library Association’s Summer Reading Program with a $50,000 grant. This worthwhile initiative attracts thousands of children and teens each year. In 2009, over 145,000 children and teens across New Jersey participated, reading over two million books. Since its inception, the Summer Reading Program has inspired and motivated children to read purely for fun, without the pressure of taking tests or writing book reports, keeping their minds sharp, improving their reading skills and expanding their imaginations.
Library Champions is a community based public awareness campaign featuring role models from the sports, entertainment and literary fields designed to encourage reading and educate the public about the important role New Jersey libraries have in transforming the lives of their customers. Celebrity Library Champions include Yankee’s pitcher A.J. Burnett, Devil’s forward Zach Parise, Giant’s defensive end Justin Tuck, Net’s guard Devin Harris and best-selling author and New Jersey native, Judy Blume.
For more information on winning tickets to great shows at the Izod Center, check with your local library and sign up for their Summer Reading Program.
To encourage kids and teens to “Read Like a Library Champion” this summer, the New Jersey State Library is giving them a chance to win a NJ Devils/Modell’s hockey jersey autographed by NJ Devils’ forward and Olympic Silver Medalist Zach Parise. To enter, all young readers have to do is read a book, go to the website www.njlibrarychampions.org, and click on the contest page. The contest runs until September 1, 2010, when a winner will be randomly selected.
Library Champions is a community based public awareness campaign featuring role models from the sports, entertainment and literary fields designed to encourage reading and educate the public about the important role New Jersey libraries have in transforming the lives of their customers. Celebrity Library Champions include Parise, Yankee’s pitcher A.J. Burnett, Giant’s defensive end Justin Tuck, Eagles defensive end Trent Cole, and best-selling author and New Jersey native, Judy Blume.
During the summer, libraries all across New Jersey participate in the Summer Reading Program. As incentives to keep kids reading during the summer, libraries in partnership with the IZOD Center are giving them the opportunity to win tickets to IZOD Center events by logging in the books they read at www.njlibrarychampions.org. Readers may win tickets to see The Wiggles on Aug. 17; Sesame Street Live on Sep. 30 to Oct. 3; Disney Live! On Nov 12-13; and Disney on Ice Nov. 23-28. Discount tickets for select IZOD Center family shows are also available at www.IZODcenter.com, by using the code LIBRARY.
For the past eight years, The State Library has supported the NJ Library Association’s Summer Reading Program with a $50,000 grant. This worthwhile initiative attracts thousands of children and teens each year. In 2009, 110,000 children and teens across New Jersey participated, reading nearly two million books. Since its inception, the Summer Reading Program has inspired and motivated children to read purely for fun, without the pressure of taking tests or writing book reports, keeping their minds sharp, improving their reading skills and expanding their imaginations.
On June 23, 2010, soccer fans gathered at the Piscataway John F. Kennedy Public Library with members of the Women’s Soccer Team Sky Blue FC to watch the United States/Algeria FIFA World Cup match. Rosana (in photo above) was one of the many Sky Blue team members who signed autographs at halftime.
The New Jersey State Library has partnered with Somerset based Sky Blue, the 2009 Women’s Professional Soccer Champions, to encourage readers to “Read Like a Library Champion” this summer by giving them the opportunity to win tickets to home games at Rutgers University’s Yurcak Field by logging in the books they read at www.njlibrarychampions.org.
Library Champions is a community based public awareness campaign featuring role models from the sports, entertainment and literary fields designed to encourage reading and educate the public about the important role New Jersey libraries have in transforming the lives of their customers. Celebrity Library Champions include Yankee’s pitcher A.J. Burnett, Devil’s forward Zach Parise, Giant’s defensive end Justin Tuck, Net’s guard Devin Harris and best-selling author and New Jersey native, Judy Blume.
Established in the fall of 2006, Sky Blue Soccer made its debut on the field with the launch of Jersey Sky Blue in the W-League of the United Soccer Leagues in 2007. Sky Blue Soccer is an internationally respected organization with the goal to be established as a leader for high-level soccer in the United States and around the globe. Sky Blue Soccer’s company concept is based on an integrated program that allows players to progress in soccer from the youth levels to the amateur ranks to professional status. In addition to operating Sky Blue FC on the professional level, Sky Blue Soccer also runs the Sky Blue Soccer School - a youth training program in which players can “Train like the Pros … with the Pros.” The Sky Blue Soccer School provides positive female role models and female trainers who have competed at the highest level both in college and professionally in the United States and abroad.
The Fanwood Memorial Library hosted United States Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, Governor Jon Corzine, and NJ State Librarian Norma Blake on Monday, June 22. The Secretary read a couple of books to children and had a meet-and-greet to celebrate libraries’ support of the “Summer of Service” — the national volunteer initiative that will run from June 22 to September 11, 2009. He also joined Norma Blake and Dan Weiss, director of the Fanwood Memorial Library, in kicking-off the Summer Reading Clubs registration drive.
One of the activities during Glen Rock Library’s 2008 Summer Reading Program was the opportunity for children to “Meet the Real D.W.,? author Marc Brown’s sister, Kim, the inspiration for his character D.W. Kim (left in photo) read a story and showed how her brother illustrates his books. Each child received an autographed sticker.
The 2008 Summer Reading Program was sponsored by the Friends of the Glen Rock Library, the New Jersey Library Association and the New Jersey State Library, and had a number of great activities to get the children to “Catch the Reading Bug.?
The New Jersey State Library partnered with Barnes & Noble and the New Jersey Library Association to sponsor “Love Your Library” month in February 2008 to once again help fund the Statewide Summer Reading Program at all public libraries in New Jersey. The funds raised from the month-long event benefited the children and young adults who participate in the 2008 Summer Reading Program.
Many libraries participated in a “Best Display? contest to promote the event. The Ridgefield Park library took the top prize, but received stiff competition from many others, including runners-up North Brunswick Library and the Evesham Branch of the Burlington County Library.
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