Jun. 19—Summer reading programs are in full swing across Wilson County.

The Mt. Juliet-Wilson County Public Library is offering programs for all ages throughout the summer.

“We’ve got baby story time, preschool story time,” Hannah Ebling said. “We’re doing a program called Chapter Chance this summer, where entering first grade to finishing third grade can come to the library. Each time we meet, we’ll talk about a new chapter book series, read the first few chapters aloud, talk about the characters and do a craft.”

The Mt. Juliet library also hosts a kid’s book club, where everyone reads different books and comes ready to share with each other.

“All the programs that we have this summer are kind of based around going around the world,” Ebling said. “For story time, for example, each week we’re going to a different continent.”

For summer reading at the Mt. Juliet branch, the challenge has always been for kids 2-12 to read any 20 books they want over the summer, log them all, and to bring the log back to the library for a fair ticket among other prizes.

“I think it’s important for kids to continue reading and doing any other literacy-based activities through the summer,” Ebling said. “There’s so much research and data on the summer slide and how retention can dwindle as the summer goes on.”

Ebling said that the summer reading completion rate at the Mt. Juliet library is around 65-70%.

“For us, summer reading is an opportunity to connect with kids in our community, get them reading, get them in the library, show them how to use everything and find them some books that they’re going to enjoy to create lifelong readers.”

For every five books participants at the Lebanon-Wilson County Library read, they get a small prize. After they complete 20 books, children under kindergarten age get a free swim pass for the day. Kindergarten through 6th grade students will receive a free ticket to the Wilson County Fair-Tennessee State Fair after completing 20 books.

For 7-12th grade participants, every book they read is an entry to win prizes.

“It’s just awesome to stay engaged during the summer while school is out and to have fun,” Chelsea Gann with the Lebanon-Wilson County Library said. “I’m so thankful to be a part of a program where it’s my job to show that reading can be fun.”

Gann said that programs at the Lebanon branch will run until July 18.

“We end on a huge party day from 10-12,” Gann said. “There’s a huge waterslide, and the Lebanon Special School District will come and provide lunch to all the kids that day. We have a lot of cool stuff coming.”

At the Watertown Public Library, there are two to three programs being hosted throughout the week during the summer.

The branch’s summer reading program is going well so far, according to branch manager Pamela Wiggins.

“It continues to keep the kids reading,” Wiggins said. “They continue to see each other during the summer.”