LEWISTON – The Lewiston Public Library summer reading game, “Catch the Reading Bug!,” will begin Monday, June 23, at the library.

The free program runs for eight weeks and kids can win a prize each week for reading 17 minutes and 9 second a day. Tickets are required for all events and are free at the the children room desk.

Jennifer Armstrong will kick off the reading game at 10:30 a.m. Monday, spinning tales from Arachne to Anansi. She will supplement her stories by playing bagpipes, banjo and fiddle. Tickets are free and can be picked up at the children’s desk on the third floor of the library.

The library’s reading programs are designed to encourage steady reading throughout the summer. Educators have found that children who do not read during the summer sometimes lose as much as six months’ progress in reading skills. A small amount of reading each day can ensure that they enter the next grade with a leg up.

The children’s room is looking for volunteers, ages 12 to 17, to help with the summer activities. No experience is necessary.

For more information about library programs, call the children’s room of the Lewiston Public Library at 513-3133 or go to lplonline.org. The library is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday.