For my family, one of the best things about living in Spokane is having the Spokane Public Library.

Every Monday, we visit the South Hill branch and come home with more than two dozen books as well as a few DVDs. It’s something that my children look forward to every week. Thanks to the library, we have new books to read every night at bedtime and during “quiet time” in the afternoons. And, they're free.

During the summer months, the Spokane Public Library and the Spokane County Library District offer many activities for kids including the Summer Reading Program.

Here’s how it works: Each child reads (or listens to) 15 books. He or she can also read for a total of 15 hours. When you sign up at the library’s reference desk, they’ll give your children a summer reading log to keep track of all the books they read. Once your child reads 15 books and finishes the log, all you have to do is bring it back to the library to receive some prizes that include a free paperback and admission to Mobius Kids downtown.

You can also sign up online.

The summer reading program includes several special activities for children. Kids can take part in arts and crafts with “Go Crazy With Pipe Cleaners” and “Trash to Treasure” (recycled art), or listen to performances by singer Ruby Devine or local children’s rock band, Jenks. Plus, they can meet and hear readings by authors including local poet Ken Nesbitt or put together a comic book with help from graphic novel author Lars Brown. The complete event calendar is also available online.

Besides the library’s summer reading program, how else do you get your children to continue reading during the summer?

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