IN THE CLASSROOM:Step 1: Lead a child to a book

Eight-year-old Kathryn Greenberg thinks her school could learn a thing or two from the Summer Reading Program at the Newport Beach Public Library.

“I like the program because you get prizes for reading. At school, you just read and you don’t get any rewards,” Kathryn said. “I’m going to read about 20 books just for the Summer Reading Program.”

Kathryn was among a group of toddlers, older kids and parents who filled the Friends Meeting Room at the Central Branch on Monday to enjoy a performance of “The Case of the Elephant Trunk,” a puppet show presented as part of the library’s Summer Reading Program.

Special events and activities like the puppet show are part of the library’s summertime effort to encourage not only a lifelong love of reading and creativity, but also to keep young minds active during months outside of the classroom.

“[The summer reading program] keeps them reading, which is good. And it helps reinforce things that they learned during the school year,” said Mara Cota, who is a young adult library assistant at the Central Branch of the Newport Beach Public Library.

It looks like the library’s plan is working. With all the fun they’re having, these kids might not even realize they’re learning.

This year’s Summer Reading Program theme is “Get a Clue @ Your Library,” and the Newport Beach Public Libraries are offering a range of exciting programs, from puppet shows and face-painting to exotic animal exhibits, magic shows and percussion music workshops, all with the mystery theme in mind.

What about the reading, you ask? They’ve got that covered, too.

The Summer Reading Program also features story-time sessions for babies and toddlers, book clubs for grades third through sixth, and the always-popular Readers Club and Read-To-Me Club.

Within the two clubs, kids record the number of hours they read each week on a game sheet. When they present their game sheet at the library, they get to choose their own reward prizes, which include stickers, toys, paperback books and food coupons.

Jana Colver, childrens’ supervisor at the Central branch, thinks the prizes help entice kids who might otherwise be hesitant.

“We provide programs and enter- tainment over the summer, and for reluctant readers there are the incentive prizes,” Colver said. “As long as we get them involved, we can keep them attached to the whole learning process and reading, and that’s what we want.”