Annual initiative encouraging children, teens, and families to explore stories, creativity, and culture through reading and events.

Houston – Houston Public Library (HPL) is excited to announce that registration is open for its annual Summer Reading Program (SRP)! This year’s theme, Color Our World, invites readers of all ages—kids, tweens, teens, and adults—to celebrate creativity, imagination, and the joy of reading.  

The program runs from June 1 to July 31, but now is the perfect time to sign up and get ready. Children under four years will track the number of books read, while all other participants will log their reading minutes throughout the summer.

In addition to reading, participants can earn rewards by attending a variety of HPL events, including author visits, performances, storytimes, live animal visits, art classes and more. Tweens and teens are encouraged to enter the Get Graphic: Comic Creation Contest launching July 1, where they can submit original comics featuring their own characters and stories.

“We are encouraging Houstonians to begin their summer adventure with books, creativity, and fun. This year, we’re aiming for a 10% increase in both participation and completion, as we continue to inspire a love of reading across our community,” said Sandy Gaw, Library Director.

Thanks to the generosity of CYCLE Houston, which has donated 34 bikes for the SRP grand prize winners (ages 7-9), the winner at each location will receive a bike.

“CYCLE is honored and excited to partner with Houston Public Libraries this summer to help encourage students to keep reading and avoid summer learning loss. We cannot wait to see the summer reading challenge winners' happy faces when they receive their bicycles! CYCLE is committed to improving literacy in Houston, specifically for second-grade students, as it is a crucial year for learning to read," said Rebecca Roberts, Executive Director of CYCLE.

To learn more about the program, please visit the website or any HPL location. For more details and to sign up, visit https://houstonlibrary.org/srp.

 

About Houston Public Library  

We are a dynamic public service organization serving one of the largest and most diverse areas in the nation—both in population and geography. Our comprehensive, customer-focused service delivery strategy supports the 2.3 million residents of the City of Houston.

Our system is comprised of 44 public service units, including six Regional Libraries—anchored by our flagship Central Library—28 Neighborhood and Express Libraries, three History Research Centers, four TECHLink centers, a Satellite location at the Children’s Museum Houston, the Mobile Express outreach unit, and the Mayor’s Office for Adult Literacy. Together, we provide equitable access to resources, technology, and lifelong learning opportunities for all Houstonians.

About CYCLE

CYCLE is a children’s charity committed to improving literacy among children in grades K-3 in Title I schools of the Greater Houston area. The organization does this by rewarding students with brand-new bicycles after they achieve defined academic goals, teaching the important lesson that hard work and dedication really do pay off. CYCLE believes that this places children on the path to a brighter future.

 

Contact:
LaDonna Weems
Deputy Assistant Director, Communications
Office: 832.393.1476
LaDonna.Weems@houstontx.gov