Summer Reading Program
June 4 through August 6, 2022
The Library’s Summer Reading Program going on now is specifically designed to keep our young readers engaged over the summer break to help prevent the “summer slide” to ensure that our youth can retain reading and learning skills. You can register in person at the Main Library, Pico Branch, and Montana Avenue Branch or register online to track your reading over the summer to help us reach our community reading goal of 300,000 minutes read. Kids and teens earn prizes for reaching reading goals, while supplies last.
For more information on all the summer interactive kids and teen programs for this summer visit smpl.org/onlinePrograms.
Let’s read together! Where I Was From by Joan Didion.
For adults, the annual Santa Monica Reads program, featuring book discussions and special events began June 4 and will run until August 6, 2022. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Santa Monica Reads.
First launched in 2002 Santa Monica Reads is a community reading program that provides an opportunity for people to engage, read and discuss the same book through guided conversation in discussion groups and special programs held throughout the city. Most of our events will be in-person and outdoors, but we will have one virtual book group discussion, so everyone can gather safely.
Fierce Friday is produced in collaboration with YALLWEST and Fierce Reads, Macmillan Books’ imprint for young adult readers. YALLWEST was born at the Santa Monica Public Library in 2015 and quickly grew to become the largest young adult book festival in the United States. The non-profit annual event is an author and teen run young adult and middle-grade book festival, with the goal of getting books into the hands of those in need and saying the words to get young people to open them.
The preview night at Santa Monica Public Library gives readers a chance to meet their favorite authors in person the night before the YALLWEST festival, which takes place on the Santa Monica High School campus. In addition to helping fund Fierce Friday, the Friends Bookstore remains open for shopping during the preview event. Friends are also invited to volunteer during this event.
Mentoring the next generation of Library supporters, the Friends fund Teen Advisory Councils at numerous branches. The Councils promote library use and community involvement by teens. Participants serve as the voice of teens, plan, publicize, and sponsor programs in the library of interest to teens. They give input and suggestions to the library concerning teen-related activities, selection of books and other materials for the Young Adult section, and input on design and content of the teen webpage. We are grateful for their contributions and leadership.
5 positions available This is an unpaid, volunteer opportunity Minimum two year commitment required The Board meets on the second Monday of the month (January
Help end summer brain drain and replace it with a skill-building joyful Summer of Reading. Become A Friend today and your donation will directly support
2019 marks the seventeenth year of this community reading event, one of the longest-running programs of its kind in the United States. SANTA MONICA READS
