More Than Hours of Books - Summer Teen Reading Round-Up
Dodie Ownes -- School Library Journal, 6/17/2008 6:11:00 AM
Asking teens to read ten books and log their hours is, well, just a big yawn to them. Teens and young adults need interaction and energy-expending activities more than ever during the summer months, and we've turned up some great Teen Summer Reading Programs that put a new spin on spending time at the library.
At Harris County's North Channel Library (TX) branch, teens will be enjoying reality show-based competitions and video game strategy sessions as
part of its “Game On!” Teen Summer Reading Program. Kelly Hall, reference librarian at North Channel, has already opened auditions for the NC Idol part of the program which is based on the popular American Idol television show. The NC Idol program is in its second year and is very popular with North Channel teens, who bring their families and friends to the library for the competitions. “Teens are my thing” says Hall, who has also included a board game night in her summer program. “I'm encouraging teens to bring in their favorites, and we'll all be learning how to play Go, a board game of Asian origin that is easier to learn than chess, but more difficult to master.” Though electronic games are still part of the program, Hall hopes that teens will expand their interests beyond “wired” entertainment. North Channel expects over fifty teens in this year's program.
The Teen Summer Reading program that has been resurrected at the Martin County Library System (MCLS) is definitely more than reading logs, as it was several years ago. Teens living in Florida’s Treasure Coast area will have the opportunity to learn podcasting basics, make a movie, or design video games. 
Twenty teens will be participating in the Techno Tuesdays Video Game Making workshops, limited only by the number of computers in the library's lab. According to Jennifer Salas, youth services coordinator, teens will be designing games for their own use as well as creating games for preschool and elementary school age children as a way of “giving back” to the library. A journal art session and video game night are also part of the program, and teens are invited to submit book reviews to the brand new MCLS teen Web site. Looking for design ideas for marketing teen programming? Check out the Teen Summer Reading program flyer, featuring artwork from the Florida State Library (TechnoPop!) and MCLS' own graphics department.
Skokie Public Library also created a special summer program for teen (and adult) media moguls. The Summer Viewing & Listening Club: Get in the Game! requires participants to watch or listen to any combination of five movies or CDs between June 1 and July 1 to be eligible to win a $100 Best Buy gift card. Going to a movie or concert earns an extra contest entry, which is made even easier since the library offers both kinds of events in their summer program schedule. “We've had over 200 sign-ups in just the first two weeks,” reports Sharon Weinberg, A/V specialist, adding that she has been a bit surprised by the response. “The idea to offer this program came up in a A/V department brainstorming session. Staff wanted to find a way to promote our movies and music materials and be part of the Summer Reading programs being offered by the library. Now I think we'll have to do it next year, too!”
The Hawaii State Public Library System is offering a unique program featuring local talent as part of its state-wide Teen Summer Reading Programs. 
Audra Furuichi and Scott Yoshinaga, artists and creators of nemu*nemu, a web comic published online since 2006, will spend the summer presenting the basics of web comic creation at libraries throughout Oahu, sponsored by the Friends of the Library of Hawaii, Pizza Hut, Frito Lay and the National Football League Charities. “We feel very fortunate to be able to participate in the libraries program,” says Furuichi. “We want young people to know that they can achieve their dreams through hard work and perseverance.” Susan Nakata, library development services section manager, says that “the program on web comic creation is a perfect tie-in with our 'iRead' theme, which highlights teen books on imagination, innovation, and ingenuity.” The program is being conducted in 51 public libraries statewide, and teens between seventh and 12th grades are invited to participate.
