Kids, we dare you to find the eight words in the mix below! Ready, Set, GO!

AKHRIOAHRBNKASUMMERFBABFOAHIABFAHFOAHFALNFAJDPRJQPEWGSNGOHF

SIGFTIOMREADINGVDFAGDAIGHOAHFRAOPRAORHAOACHALLENGEOHFAOFHAO

FHAOFAOCANGFAOAREHFAOIHFAOFYOUHSFHSIFAOIFHAOIFHAOHMAKEIGHDFO

AHFOAHFAOHFAOTHEHFATOFHAOFHAOYRHQWORHBQMINUTES?CUIGIOSHVNHNFSG

Have you found the hidden words? This code simply asks if students are ready to undertake the new Summer Reading Challenge. (If you didn’t find all the words, check the Key at the end of this article.)

On Monday, 9 July 2012, the Cayman Islands Library in coordination with the Ministry of Education, Training and Employment launched a Summer Reading Challenge for students on summer vacation.

This initiative is for children ages 6 to 17. During the kick off week 9-14 July 2012, libraries and library staff will be on hand from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at the district libraries to assist any student who would like to get started with the challenge.

In the challenge, participants are asked to complete a recommended number of minutes each week for their age group and log their reading time through the Summer Reading Challenge website www.summerreading.ky.

“Current research in reading shows that during the summer children can actually lose what progress was made during the school year, or they can actually advance and begin the school year at a higher reading level than the level at which they ended it.  This growth, or lack thereof, can be attributed to the amount of reading that children do throughout the summer, said Minister of Education, Hon. Rolston Anglin, JP.

The Minister continued, “To that end, the Ministry of Education and Public Library Service are proud to introduce the Summer Reading Challenge which aims at keeping children reading throughout the summer, to maintain their skills, and even to improve them.”

During the challenge all public library branches will provide access to the Internet and to the books included on the recommended reading lists for the programme. Library staff will be available to help children make book selections and to complete entries on the Summer Reading Challenge website.

Each public library branch will host a kick-off programme the week of 9 July. The kick off schedule is as follows:

• Bodden Town – Tuesday, July 10th

• East End & Cayman Brac – Wednesday, July 11^th
• George Town – Thursday, July 12^th
• West Bay – Friday, July 13^th

Students must register to take part in the challenge. To begin the reading adventure each participant will need to do the following:

1. Fill out a registration form
2. Get a Cayman Islands Public Library Service (CIPLS) card

Challenge participants will then go to summerreading.ky and click on the “Register” link to set up their account. During each week of the challenge, participants will need to log minutes read and complete reading entries.

Once participants begin reading a book, they will be asked to enter the number of minutes they have read each week.  Students will then be prompted to answer the question, “What was your favourite part of this book?” and also rate the book.

All participating students must complete the following to be entered in the drawing for prizes:

1. Have a CIPLS Library Card
2. Read the minimum number of hours each week
3. Read a minimum of five books during the programme
4. Enter their challenge information on the website each week

Get ready to read as the challenge begins on 16 July 2012! Remember to register for the challenge at your local library and log in to the website and start logging your reading minutes as the challenge finishes on 29 August 2012.

For more information, contact your district library; Director of Libraries K.C. Williams at [email protected]; Youth Reference Librarian Juliet Lawson at [email protected]; or call the main library on 949 5159.

Key to Code”