Pittsburgh, PA  –  Thursday, June 6, 2024  – 

The literary showdown of the summer is here! Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) is kicking off its 2024 Summer Reading Program, READ-A-PALOOZA BOOK BOWL, with an invitation to all readers to compete in a festive summer of literary fun from June 16 to August 11.

Research widely shows reading just four to six books over the summer can help children and teens retain skills learned in the previous academic year. To help combat the so-called “summer slide,” CLP hosts its annual Summer Reading Program to encourage all readers to log at least five books during the program – while scoring swag and prizes along the way.

What’s new this year

Team spirit is the name of the game for this year’s annual Summer Reading Program. Readers of all ages can register for a team, selecting their favorite CLP location, all of which will compete to collectively read and log the most books. Each team will hold monthly drawings where readers can win prizes, including Visa gift cards and tickets to Pirates games and a special Steelers Training Camp package. All readers who log at least five books will be entered into the end-of-summer drawing for an age-based prize bracket. Each branch will have four prize brackets – one for early learners, kids, teens and adults. Readers can also complete a personal Summer Reading Bingo Challenge for a chance to win more prizes. READ-A-PALOOZA BOOK BOWL Reading Logs and Bingo Cards are available in a variety of languages on the Library’s website for community members and PPS students.

“This year, we’re excited to spark a bit of friendly competition among our CLP locations. Just like athletes train in the off-season, students need to read over the summer to keep their skills sharp – so they can return to the classroom ready to learn in the fall,” said Andrew Medlar, President and Director, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. “In 2023, we saw a 30% increase in participation from the previous year, making way for this year’s program to be even bigger and better than ever.”

During last year’s Summer Reading Program, Pittsburghers logged over 47,000 books – a whopping 71% more books from the previous summer.

Lighting the Torch

Media are invited to attend the READ-A-PALOOZA Book Bowl’s Opening Ceremony at CLP-Hill District on June 18 at 1 p.m. At the event, CLP mascot Andrew CARDnegie will arrive with the official READ-A-PALOOZA BOOK BOWL torch to signal the start of Summer Reading, where he will be joined by:

• Andrew Medlar, President and Director, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
• Wayne Walters, Superintendent, Pittsburgh Public Schools
• Jason Brown, Henry Buhl, Jr. Director, Carnegie Science Center; and Vice President, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
• Kathryn Vargas, Director, Department of Parks and Recreation, City of Pittsburgh Citiparks

READ-A-PALOOZA Book Bowl will convene on August 11 with its signature Extravaganza “Closing Ceremony” at CLP – Main in Oakland, a day of free family-fun activities to celebrate all summer readers and hear how each team performed against the competition – and see if readers beat last year’s record-setting number of books logged. Patrons can look forward to music, crafts, games, activities, storytelling, food trucks and more!

READ-A-PALOOZA BOOK BOWL 2024 is supported by sponsors and partners dedicated to championing literacy and learning for all Library patrons and communities. These include presenting sponsor EQT, program partners Carnegie Science Center, Citiparks and Pittsburgh Public Schools, and generous corporate sponsors including Duolingo, First National Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, Maher Duessel and UPMC Health Plan.

To register for Summer Reading, visit a CLP location or visit: carnegielibrary.org/summer-reading.

For media, click here for B-roll and graphics.

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