News Release

EDMUNDSTON (GNB) – The 2013 Summer Reading Club was launched today by the New Brunswick Public Library Service at the Mgr. W.-J. Conway Public Library.

"The Summer Reading Club is one of our most successful programs,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Danny Soucy. “It helps children experience the joy of reading and learning while building and maintaining their literacy skills during the school break."

During June, July and August, children of all ages are invited to join the free library program that encourages reading. This year, the theme for the yearly program is movies and film and the slogan is Action!

Participants can explore the cinematic world and discover the close connection between page and screen at their local library or bookmobile. The theme includes such topics as film careers, Hollywood glamour, popular characters, famous movie animals, book-to-movie adaptations and film genres from around the world.  

In addition to reading, a web portal of movie themed games has been designed to complement the club.

The program traditionally enrols more than 10,000 young readers who read more than 200,000 books every summer. This year the province invested more than $300,000 in the initiative.

"Our continued investment in this long-standing program is instrumental in promoting a love of books and reading and helps us encourage young people to visit and use the wide variety of services on offer, including our growing online resources," said Soucy. "Programs such as this facilitate a culture of lifelong learning and support our government's goal to enhance the quality of life for New Brunswickers."

The program creates 75 positions for university or college students who serve as Summer Reading Club activity leaders. These jobs provide the necessary additional support and are intended to give young workers skills and work experience to be successful in the labour market in the future.

Registration for club will be available at the end of the school year at all public library locations, including bookmobiles. Children may register by contacting their public library or bookmobile. Contact information is on the New Brunswick Public Library Service website.