Summer is a time of fun and sunshine for people of all ages. For our youth, summer is the ideal time to encourage them to maintain, as well as further develop their literacy skills. It is also a great opportunity to encourage them to visit the library regularly. For these reasons, the Moline Public Library is excited to launch its Summer Reading Program, which takes place June 2 through July 26.

Through its Summer Reading Program, the Moline Public Library hopes to instill, as well as foster positive learning habits and long-term literacy skills among youth.

According to Jan LaRoche, a Librarian at the Moline Public Library, Summer Reading Programs are important for youth to participate in because it helps mitigate the "summer slide," which is when students lose literacy skills over the summer when their minds are not being stimulated educationally.

The summer slide, or summer learning loss as others also call it, is not a matter to be taken lightly. According to the National Summer Learning Association, research over the years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of a summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer. Moreover, a 2010 report released by Dominican University shows that students who participate in library summer reading programs score higher on standardized reading tests than those who do not participate in them.

The Moline Public Library's Summer Reading Program will revolve around the theme "Paws to Read." A wide range of programs and events accommodating youth of all ages will be held throughout summer.

Parents of teens are highly encouraged to bring their teen to the library to participate in Moline Public Library's Summer Reading Program. Some event highlights include :

·       Teen Iron Chef on Monday, June 9

·       Teen Job Program on Thursday, June 19

·       The Boomerang Guy on Saturday, June 28

·       Handwriting Analysis on Thursday, July 10

For more information about Moline Public Library's Summer Reading Program, please contact Jan LaRoche at 309-524-2470 or online at http://molinelibrary.com.

Moline Public Library's Summer Reading Program is supported in part by a grant from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.  YALSA builds the capacity of libraries to serve teens.  Learn more about YALSA at www.ala.org/yalsa.  The Dollar General Literacy Foundation provides assistance to organizations in implementing and expanding literacy programs for youth.  Learn more about Dollar General at www.dollargeneral.com.

• Library Treasure Hunt from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Thursday, June 13 at the Main Library, 401 19^th Street. Teens will follow a trail of clues to uncover treasure and win prizes.
• Teen Iron Chef contest from 6:00 to 7:30 pm on Tuesday, June 18 at the Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road, Rock Island. Working with a stack of ingredients, teens will whip up a culinary masterpiece to become the library's next prize-winning chef.
• Teen Gaming Night from 6:00 to 7:30 pm on Thursday, June 20 at the Main Library, 401 19^th Street. Teens can play Xbox 360 with Kinect, Wii and board games.
• Zombie Night, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Thursday, June 27, at the Main Library, 401 19^th St. Dig into your chance to survive the zombie invasion by learning how to create a Zombie Preparedness Plan, apply zombie make-up for either camouflage or fun and enjoy a classic zombie movie and snacks.

The deadline for students in grades 6-12 to enter the Teen Poetry Contest at the Moline Public Library is Saturday, April 21. Students can enter one (1) original poem of up to 25 lines for a chance to win a gift certificate of up to $25. Entry forms are available at the library or online at http://molinelibraryteens.. Poems may also be emailed to jlaroche@molinelibrary.org and should include the poet's name, phone number, grade, school, and the title of the poem. Anyone who submits a poem for the contest can read at the Poetry Café at the Library on Saturday, May 5 at 10:00 a.m. Prizes will also be handed out at that time. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 41^st Street, Moline, IL 61265.

Teen Writers Group

Teen and Young Adult writers are invited to the Moline Public Library on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7:00 p.m. Bring a few short items to share with the group, get feedback, and learn some new tricks. The next meeting will be on Monday, January 9 at 7:00. This program is free, no registration is necessary. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 41^st Street, Moline, IL 61265 or online at  http://www.molinelibrary.com.

Anime Club

Teen and Young Adult fans of anime, manga, and all things Japanese are invited to the Moline Public Library the third Tuesday of the month at 3:30 for Anime Club. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, January 17 at 3:30. This program is free and no registration is necessary. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 41^st Street, Moline, IL 61265 or online at  http://www.molinelibrary.com.

Teen Writers Group

Teen and Young Adult writers are invited to the Moline Public Library on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7:00 p.m. Bring a few short items to share with the group, get feedback, and learn some new tricks. The next meeting will be on Monday, January 23 at 7:00. This program is free and no registration is necessary. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 41^st Street, Moline, IL 61265 or online at http://www.molinelibrary.com.

Teen Advisory Group

Teens in grades 6-12 are invited to join the Teen Advisory Group at the Moline Public Library. Help plan programs, give input about what books and materials to add to the collection, make friends, and have fun. We meet the first Thursday of the month, and the next meeting is Thursday, February 2 at 3:30 in the Platinum Room. This program is free and no registration is necessary. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 41^st Street, Moline, IL 61265 or online at http://www.molinelibrary.com.