- Kids who stop reading over summer can fall behind when school resumes, a phenomenon experts call the "summer slide."
- The challenge lets kids choose their own books, whether fantasy, realistic fiction, audiobooks, or print, making reading feel less like homework.
- Kids who complete the challenge have a chance to win prizes.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Omaha Public Library is turning reading into an adventure this summer, encouraging kids to log 10 hours of reading in exchange for prizes.
The challenge comes as experts warn about the "summer slide" the learning loss that can happen when children step away from books during the break.
"If you're not reading and keeping those skills sharp, when you start school in the fall, you're not quite at the same level you were when you finish the school year before." Nancy Novotny, program manager with Omaha Public Library, said
The program also gives kids the freedom to read what they enjoy. Some young library goers said they gravitate toward fantasy and mythical creatures, while others prefer realistic fiction and fictional history.
Novotny said both audiobooks and print books offer real benefits for young readers.
"You can learn a lot of new vocabulary. You learn the structure of a story. You learn to think about what would I do in this situation," Novotny said.
She added that reading also builds emotional intelligence.
"It helps those building those skills of empathy, those social emotional skills, like, how do I get along with someone that I don't know very well, or who's different from me," Novotny said.
One grandmother, Debbie Losole, said her grandson — who hasn't started school yet — is already an enthusiastic reader.
"Little kids are like sponges. Everything that he reads, he stores in his mind, and surprisingly, he remembers it," Losole said.
When I asked the boy what he likes about reading, he said: "That you can learn much of stuff."
Kids who complete the reading challenge will receive 2 free books and have the opportunity to win prizes.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
