RUMFORD – Area young people are invited to “Catch the Reading Bug” during the summer reading program at the Rumford Public Library. The program is open to children of all reading abilities, from preschool through age 14.

Reading during the summer helps children maintain and enhance their reading and comprehension skills and their vocabulary. As well, younger children develop a positive, enthusiastic attitude toward learning to read when they are read to regularly.

Local businesses are working with the library to add encouragement through incentives to young readers.

Children are asked to read at least five days a week, for a length of time based upon the child’s age. Pre-readers may be read to by a parent, older sibling or other caregiver. Participants will have four weeks, from Sunday, June 29, through Saturday, July 26, to meet their reading goals.

Each week that a reader meets the appropriate goal, s/he will receive a coupon for a kid’s meal. Readers who meet the goal all four weeks will receive certificates for a cool treat and a half-day at a Bethel adventure center.

The Summer Reading Awards Celebration for those who participate in the program will take place on Wednesday, July 30.

The first 75 readers to turn in a completed reading log will receive a voucher good for a free ticket to the Portland Sea Dogs game vs. the Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13. Along with the voucher will be an order form for redeeming the voucher, as well as for ordering additional tickets for those who will attend the game with the reader.

More information on the program and the reading logs is available in the Children’s Room.

The calendar of events for the library’s four-week Summer Fest daily activity program, which begins Monday, July 7, is also available in the Children’s Room.

The library is “infested” with books about butterflies, bees, ladybugs and many other types of insects, as well as books about sports, history, animals, space, cars and big machines, fairy tales, poetry and lots of fiction.