Reading Program Keeps Kids From Falling Behind

Children can travel the world without ever leaving the this summer. A new multicultural-themed summer reading program is designed to keep kids minds active during their time off from school this vacation.

"One World, Many Stories," as the program is called, is free and open to children in kindergarten through sixth grade.

"Reading is the single-most important activity for keeping up academic thinking over the summer," said Susan Kennedy, literacy specialist at . She encourages parents to get involved and talk to their children about the books to help them gain full comprehension of what they are reading. "Read to your children. Read with your children. Listen to them read to you."

Children's librarian Dale Smith said if children pick out their own books, they will be more likely to read them.

"Whether their interests lie in The Ultimate LEGO Book, Treasure Island on CD, or the latest graphic novel, young readers will have lots of fun discovering new authors and subjects while building literacy skills," said Smith in a press release. "Best of all, when they get their books at the public library, it doesn’t cost parents a nickel.”

Reading books and discussing them during the summer, say some librarians, will help prevent kids from "summer slide," causing them to lose some of the information they learned during the school year.

"Summer reading addresses the issue head-on,” said Smith. “When children retain and build on the skills and knowledge they’ve learned during the previous academic year, it’s infinitely easier to make the transition back to school in September.”

Each week, from librarians at the and libraries. Tune in each week for the latest suggestions for children and adults.

Visit the library website for the summer reading lists for middle and highschool students and for elementary school students in Natick.