Everyone knows that during the summer time our children are at risk of losing a portion of what they learned during the school year. It is supremely important that we continue our children’s learning outside of the school building by encouraging them to read at home, during play time and when they’re just out and about. Everything from reading street signs to reading grocery labels can help your kids retain all the information they gained during the school year. Luckily for us Pittsburghers, some city organizations have phenomenal programming planned for Summer 2015. Here is a list of summer reading programs happening in and around Pittsburgh during the months of June, July, August & September. Enjoy!
Children, teens and adults can be the hero of their own reading adventures this summer, through the popular Summer Reading programs at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The adventure kicks off at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s 15th Annual Summer Reading Extravaganza. Kids, teens and adults can enjoy this super outdoor festival with music, crafts, games and… books! This event will take place Sunday, June 5th at Carnegie Library’s Main Branch in Oakland.
Barnes & Noble’s Imagination Destination
Every child who reads 8 or more books gets a free book. It’s really that simple just visit Barnes & Nobles website to download the reading log, fill it out with your child’s reading list and get a free book all summer long.
Storymobiles are libraries-on-wheels; taking stories, books, and parenting resources to public housing communities and childcare homes and centers throughout the greater Pittsburgh region. The visits are designed to promote and support reading and literacy-based activities for children and their families. Children can borrow from a diverse selection of age-appropriate, high quality books. The Storymobiles loan thousands of books annually to children, parents, and teachers. Click here for the StoryMobile’s site list.
Join Citiparks for the annual Alphabet Trail and Tales, a free early and elementary aged literacy event for the entire family. Each year, Alphabet Trail and Tales presents the best in children’s books. Interactive, hand-painted story sets create a backdrop for a day of reading and fun. Follow the Alphabet Trail to enjoy art, music, games and activities. This event takes place Saturday, September 10 from 10 am-1 pm.
Half-Priced Books Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program
Read 15 minutes a day for a month in June and July. (Grown-ups may read aloud to kids who are still learning.) Use this reading log 
, add up your minutes and have your parent or guardian initial each week. Once you’ve reached 300 or more minutes, bring your log to your local HPB to claim your Bookworm Bucks.
The Allegheny County Library Association has created a summer reading program called Questyinz©, an online summer learning game that engages K-5 students in reading exploring their interests. Children can read, write, and complete quests from 17 categories to win badges and points towards virtual rewards for their avatar – and even real world rewards for themselves! This year’s program is being hosted by Green Tree Library, but can still be accessed online.
Carnegie Library’s Reading Room in Market Square
Downtown workers, residents and visitors can satisfy their literary appetites in the midst of the City’s lunchtime bustle when Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s mobile Reading Room returns to open a new chapter of reading, learning and fun in Market Square.
Carnegie Library Summer Reading Challenge
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh challenges the City to read 90,000 books by August 31. Every book, audiobook, magazine or item you log this summer counts—plus you can win prizes! Are you up to the challenge?