The Dog Days of Summer

June 8, 2020

Juicy watermelon and popsicles. Heat that bakes the pavement. The splash of a dive-bomb into the pool. Road trips. These are unifying experiences everyone remembers when they think back to the dog days of summer vacation during their childhood.

For me, summer meant endless, glorious uninterrupted hours spent reading; I’d be restless until I could make the first trip of the summer to the library. One of the hallmarks of every summer of my childhood was participating in the public library’s summer reading challenge. I’m sure I don’t have to extol the virtues of reading, especially during childhood and adolescence. Reading expands one’s mind, fine-tuning critical thinking and enlarging one’s imagination. It encourages vocabulary development, improves writing skills, and allows one to travel far and wide without leaving the comfort of our home.

The Irving Public Library offers two annual reading challenges, one in the summer and one in late winter, for all age groups (Babies, Children, Teens, or Adults). This summer’s reading challenge brings forth the theme: “IMAGINE your story.” and runs from June 1-July 31st. Sign up to log in your books and “reading missions” at irvinglibrary.readsquared.com. Win prizes for every 5 missions completed! More information can be found at: https://www.cityofirving.org/2170/Summer-Reading-Challenge