Lynn Trimble
Audio By Carbonatix
Summer reading programs aren’t just for kids — at least, not in Maricopa County.
The annual Maricopa County Reads summer program kicked off on June 1, and it offers prizes for all age groups based on points earned. This year’s theme is “Unearth a Story.”
The age categories are broken into pre-readers (ages 4 and under), kids (5 to 11), teens (12 to 17) and adults (18 and up).
Participants earn points by reading and by completing challenges. Each logged minute of reading earns 1 point, and different challenges are assigned different point values.
For example, kids can rack up points by building a family time capsule, reading a book about the Phoenix Mercury, going to some of Harkins Theatres’ Summer Movie Fun offerings or attending a library event with a STEM focus.
Adults can earn challenge points by attending various types of library events and reading books in particular categories, such as books by Jane Austen, books set in the ’90s, books about science and more.
Participants can redeem points for prizes, including coupons for free personal pizzas at Peter Piper Pizza, free Phoenix Mercury tickets, Arizona State Parks passes and more.
There will also be drawings for bigger rewards such as Arizona Museum of Natural History prize packs, Childsplay Theater family four-pack ticket voucher and bag of books; Childsplay Theater ticket voucher for two; Harkins Theatres family prize packs; and Butterfly Wonderland prize packs.
There is no cost for anyone to join the program, which runs through July 20. The registration process requires participants to choose a library system and home library.
The following library systems are participating:
- Avondale Public Library
- Buckeye Public Library
- Chandler Public Library
- Desert Foothills Library
- Fort McDowell Tribal Library
- Glendale Public Library
- Luke Air Force Base Library
- Maricopa County Library District
- Mesa Public Library
- Morristown Volunteer Library
- Peoria Public Library
- Phoenix Public Library
- Salt River Tribal Library
- Scottsdale Public Library
- Surprise Public Library
- Tempe Public Library
- Tolleson Public Library
- Wickenburg Public Library
- Youngtown Public Library
