Air Force graphic by Airman 1st Class Caleb Worpel

The library at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., is hosting its annual Summer Reading Program from June 14 to July 19 with this year’s Department of Defense theme, “Reading by Design”. Sign-ups for the program will take place at the Luke AFB Library beginning May 17, 2017.

The Luke Air Force Base library is gearing up for its annual Summer Reading Program scheduled to begin June 14 in hopes to inspire children to read throughout the summer.

“The summer reading program has become a fun way to keep kids learning and entertained,” said Steven Haydu, 56th Force Support Squadron supervisory librarian. “We invite children, teens and adults to come out and enjoy the program.”

Sign-ups for the program begin Wednesday, May 17 at the base library. Children ages 4 through 12 are eligible to participate. A free t-shirt is included when signing up.

The library plans to host weekly events for children associated with this year’s Department of Defense theme “Reading by Design”. The program is scheduled to last a total of six weeks and feature events such as a balloon artist, the Arizona Challenger Space Center, 3-D origami and more.

“The variety of activities we do during the summer reading program allows children to not only have a learning experience, but also make friends from other military families and most importantly have fun,” said Kathryn Puckett, 56th Force Support Squadron senior library technician.

Books in the program are often picked for children to coincide with their local curriculum to keep them active for the upcoming school year.

“There is a certain amount of fallback from schoolwork that children experience during the summer months,” Haydu said. “The summer reading program keeps them active and engaged.”

Participants are encouraged to read 20 minutes per day, seven days a week and track their progress on a reading log. Each participant can bring their reading log every week to receive an incentive prize. Readers who complete their reading log for five weeks will be entered into a drawing for a grand finale prize on July 19.

“One of our hopes is that participants of the program use this experience to expand their horizons with reading and take what they have learned here and apply it to other aspects of their life,” said Puckett.

For more information, contact the Luke AFB library at 623-856-7191.