LEWISTON — Teens in Lewiston-Auburn area are invited to participate in “You Are Here,” the Lewiston Public Library’s second annual teen summer reading program, from June 20-July 22. Teens age 13 through high school are encouraged to sign up at the second floor reference desk and read for prizes, and to take part in special youth events offered throughout the summer.

This year’s theme encourages readers to explore the world around them through books and programs offered at the library. LPL’s summer program will start off with “You Are Here: Maine,” featuring a display of books by Maine authors accompanied by information about fun summer activities around the state. Adventure seekers may also pick up a list of geocaching coordinates, which will allow individuals with GPS-enabled devices to hunt for hidden treasure containers located in Lewiston.

Everyone who signs up will receive a small incentive prize and will be given a reading log to update at least once each week. Youth are also encouraged to attend summer activities at the library, including regular arts and crafts programs, book discussions and writing competitions. Attending programs will give teen readers bonus points towards weekly medium-size prizes or big prizes like an iPod Nano. At the end of the five-week program, the person who reads the most will win the grand prize iPod Touch.

“The Teen Summer Reading Program is designed so that anyone can win the grand prize. Since you are awarded prize points based on minutes spent reading rather than pages or number of books, the slowest reader has the same chance of winning as the fastest reader, as long as they put time into it,” said Molly Ladd, the Lewiston Public Library’s teen services VISTA. “We’re also encouraging the teens to try reading something new, whether it is a newspaper, magazine, text book for summer school or a traditional novel.”

Signups begin Friday, June 17. Interested teens may stop by the reference desk or contact Ladd for more information at 513-3135, ext. 3521 or [email protected].