FROM THE NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY:

Summer is just around the corner. A couple more weeks and it’ll be time to relax and unwind as another busy school year comes to an end. It can also be the perfect time to pick up a good book — and read. The Newport Beach Public Library offers Summer Reading Programs for children, teens and adults from June 23 to Aug. 17.

“Get a Clue@Your Library” is the theme for this year’s Summer Reading Program, and the biggest clue is read! It’s no mystery that developing good reading skills can be a major factor in a child’s future success, but retaining those skills with three months away from school can be a challenge. The Summer Reading Program encourages children to read throughout the summer — just for the fun of it! Children of all ages enjoy selecting their own books, tracking their reading time on a special game sheet and collecting prizes as incentives for time spent reading, or being read to for younger participants. It’s a great alternative to all of the “fun in the sun” physical activities that summer brings and it keeps their reading skills sharp for the upcoming school year.

Kickoff and registration for the Summer Reading Program will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 23 with entertainment by blues singer Brother Yusef at the Central Library, authors and science buffs Claire and Monte Montgomery at Mariners Library, and storyteller and balloon twister extraordinaire Annie Banannie at the Balboa Branch Library. Throughout the summer, children in kindergarten through sixth grade are invited to enjoy magicians, animal shows, puppets, science, music and more — all free at the Newport Beach Public Library. For a complete schedule, visit the website at www.newportkids.org.

The library also offers a Summer Reading Program for teens and adults. And yes, there are prizes in these programs too! Adults and teens are encouraged to share their thoughts about the books they read by writing a short “Book Review,” giving others a clue as to what books they might enjoy. If you don’t have a book in mind, check out the lists under “Bestsellers and New Titles” on the website at www.newportbeachlibrary.org .

So whatever your plans are this summer, put reading on the list. Relax at the beach with a new bestseller, listen to an audio book while traveling, catch a quick chapter while the barbecue is heating up, and don’t forget to snuggle up and read a bedtime story to your child or grandchild.