LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Book lovers of all ages are invited to “Read by Design” with the Lake County Library's 2017 Summer Reading Program.

The program is open to all ages, so everyone can join in the fun.

Signups begin Saturday, May 20, at all four Lake County Library branches and you can sign up any time during the summer.

Once you sign up you can keep track of your reading progress when you return your books to the library. There are four programs, each targeting a different age group.

The program for “pre-readers” challenges parents and other family members to read together with their children who haven't quite started to read yet.

The kids program is recommended for children ages from 5 to 12 who are independent readers. Children can read books and earn stickers for their game cards.

For children who read 25 books or 1,000 pages The Friends of the Lake County Library will donate a book to the library with a special bookplate inside the book commemorating their achievement.

At the end of the program in August, there will be a party for the children who participate.

Teens age 13 to 18 can sign up to read books. For every 200 pages you read, you get a ticket for a grand prize drawing. There will also be a variety of events for teens over the summer at the library.

The Lake County Library now includes a summer reading program for adults. It’s a fun way to challenge yourself to read more this summer. For every 200 pages you read, you get a ticket for a grand prize drawing.

“The Summer Reading program is a great way to promote reading over the summer because children are encouraged to find and read materials that interest them,” said Lake County Library director Christopher Veach. “Students read more when they can choose their own materials from a wide selection and are able to share their choices with their peers.”

There have been many studies that show that students who read often achieve higher academic success than students who rarely read. Also, students who read just for fun are more likely to do better in school.

A study performed by Dominican University in 2010 found that students who were part of a library summer reading program had better reading skills at the end of the third grade than students who didn’t participate.

The Lake County Library Summer Reading Program is supported in part by the Friends of the Lake County Library and Friends of Middletown Library.

For more information contact the library at 707-263-8817 or visit the library Web site at http://library.lakecountyca.gov .

The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .

Jan Cook is a technician with the Lake County Library.