Montgomery, Ala. – School library media centers across the state will celebrate Teen Read Week October 8-14, 2017, with programs spotlighting all the great resources and activities available at the library and to encourage teens from around the area to read for their enjoyment.
Teen Read Week is a great opportunity for teens and their families to learn about all the free services and resources at the library, which offers a safe and supervised space for adolescents to engage in creative, educational activities with caring adults and mentors. Libraries, schools and bookstores across the country will hold events centered on this year’s theme, “Unleash Your Story!”
“Strong reading skills are more critical than ever because they translate into better performance at school and better preparedness for careers,” said Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) Library Media Specialist Dede Coe. “This is why it is important to take advantage of Teen Read Week, which shows teens that reading is a fun and relaxing activity they can do for free.”
The Alabama State Department of Education invites teens and parents to participate in the special programs and events in their communities during Teen Read Week and at home.
Alabama library media specialists offer these ideas:
Set aside time each day for the family to read;
Give books or magazine subscriptions to your teen as a gift or reward;
Share your favorite book with your teen;
Go online with your teen to learn about new books or authors by visiting http://tinyurl.com/yalsabookawardslists, or use YALSA’s free Teen Book Finder app;
Host a book discussion group;
Build an in-home library (thrift stores and yard sales offer an inexpensive way to do that);
Listen to audiobooks on trips;
Create a cozy reading corner somewhere in your home;
Use meal time to talk about books that you’re reading;
Parents and caregivers can be role models by making time to read, too; and
Incorporate reading into teen chores, such as reading a recipe when cooking, reading instructions for how-to projects, reading sales fliers to develop a shopping list, and more.
Teen Read Week is a national adolescent literacy initiative created by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. It is held annually in October, the same week as Columbus Day. For more information, visit www.ala.org/teenread, contact Dede Coe at dcoe1@alsde.edu, or your speak to your local Alabama school librarian.
Source Alabama Department of Education
