It is open to Danville schools' K-5 students and their families.
Guest reader and retired Superintendent David Fields will read a book to the audience. Then program coordinator Louis K. Morris will award prizes to the program participants in each grade level who earned the most Accelerated Reader points over the summer. "This program was meant to encourage students to read and keep their minds active over the summer break and not be part of the summer slide," said Morris, the East Park Elementary School librarian.
Research shows that children have the potential to lose 2 to 3 months of reading progress that they made the year before if they don't read over the summer, Morris said.
This summer, 92 students participated in the program, which is 22 more than the previous year.
First-place winners will receive a $50 Walmart gift card, second-place winners will receive a $25 Walmart gift card and third-place winners will receive 10 free Danville Mass Transit bus rides.
Participants in the grade level that read the most book will receive a token for a Dairy Queen treat.
Morris also will present rewards to parents for their participation. Each time they brought their child to the library and read with them, they could enter their name into a jar.
Morris will draw six names at the event, and those people will receive a new book bag filled with school supplies.
"We really wanted to encourage parents to read with their children," he said of the incentive. He said that will show youngsters that reading is important.
