HN thanks the donors who make Summer Reading Kits possible!
In 2020, HN started Summer Reading Kits to help students maintain academic skills during summer break. According to Scholastic, children in grades 3rd through 5th lose an average of 20% of their school gains in reading while school is out for summer. These kits aim to combat that “summer set-back” by encouraging children to read. Parents and librarians appreciate the help! So, for 2025, HN is increasing the number of kits to 500 to meet demand.
Summer Reading
Kits are provided for families all over the state, including rural communities. Each kit includes a bilingual discussion guide, art supplies, toys, family activities and six popular titles from HN’s Prime Time program in both English and Spanish. Titles selected by staff for the summer of 2025 where chosen to match the Nebraska Public Libraries’ summer reading program theme of “Color Our World.” They include:
- Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty (in English and Spanish)
- The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds (in English and Spanish)
- Oh, Olive! by Lian Cho
- The Lizard and the Sun by Alma Flor Ada (bilingual edition)
- Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
- Birdsong by Julie Flett
