Summer Reading Programs at Baxter Memorial Library (BML) will focus on pollinator friends. The Summer Reading and Discovery Program (SRDP) is an eight-week whirlwind of activities, reading, and prizes for youth. Visit the library to get a reading game sheet anytime starting June 13th or grab it at the “Spring into Summer” event on June 21st. The goal is to complete 16 hours of reading by the end of August.

The kickoff for the 2022 Summer Reading and Discovery Program (SRDP) begins with the “Spring into Summer” event held on the library lawn, Tuesday, June 21st (rain date June 23rd) 2 – 6 p.m. The ribbon cutting for BML’s new Bee and Butterfly Discovery Garden will be held at 2:30 p.m., near the municipal parking lot. From 3 to 4 p.m. Matt Loosigian of Earth Jams will provide live music for kids to dance and sing along. Perennial favorites such as Touch-a-Truck, hot dogs, summer reading materials, and more will be available.

Listening to audio books or podcasts, reading graphic novels, reading stories together aloud, and doing any other activity involving the written word will count as “reading time.” For every four hours of reading earns prizes including bookmarks, pins, a Subway kid’s meal, a book of choice from the prize table, and a pizza from Domino’s or Otto. Thank you to Gorham Subway, Gorham Domino’s, and Gorham Otto for donating these awesome prizes in support of the Summer Reading and Discovery Program.

Parents and their children two years old and younger can also participate with the Wee Readers program which incorporates early literacy activities to do with your child. Participants receive a free board book and a nursery rhyme key tag.

BML has a summer reading program for adults, too. For every book read, fill out a raffle ticket in the library or online. Everything counts – beach reads, serious reads, audiobooks, books you read aloud to kids. Every week, a winning entry will be drawn to win great prizes from local businesses, with a grand prize winner to be drawn from all the entries at the end of the program.

Learn on the Lawn, a series of outdoor fitness class samplers for all ages taught by local instructors, will return for the summer. This is a great way to try something new by connecting to fitness classes being taught locally.

Summer Reading will finish strong with the Second Edition Print Run 5K on August 12 will feature an evening 5K and kids’ fun run. Look for more information as the date approaches.

Check out www.baxterlibrary.org or call 222-1190 for up-to-date information on BML’s exciting programs throughout the summer. All library programs are free and open to the public.