Reading over the summer: RPL keeps kids busy until September

Kids will be going back to school soon, but the Regina Public Library (RPL) still hopes to offer them a chance to learn for the remaining days of summer.

The RPL has been hosting its “Level Up” learning and reading program throughout the summer season. It ends on Sept. 3.

Cassie Leszczynski with the RPL said it’s a great way to keep kids from falling into the “summer slide,” which is the loss of learning that children can experience over the summer.

“Just having those books accessible throughout the house will get kids ready to go back to school,” she said on the Greg Morgan Morning Show.

Leszczynski said every week, the program offers kids a chance to do a learning activity.

“They can choose whatever activity that is and it’s just to allow them to be completely creative in how they want to make those learning objectives,” Leszczynski said.

Leszczynski said young readers can’t seem to get enough of graphic novels.

“There’s been a huge explosion of graphic novels by publishers (to the point where) they’ve been overwhelming our shelves,” she said.

“And honestly, they overwhelm our shelves and then when kids come in, they’re gone. (The shelves are) bare at the end of the day.”

Leszczynski said graphic novel versions of children’s classics like Anne of Green Gables or Magic Tree House have been very popular.

“(Those are the) classic books that we read as a kid,” she said. “So I always make that conversation of, ‘Read this and then why don’t you read the (classic) book and see if you can make any comparisons.’

“It’s almost like the ‘Is the book better than the movie?’ type of question.”

Students in the Regina Catholic School Division and Regina Public Schools are to return to class Sept. 5.