The summer months are often the most anticipated months of the year. Especially in our area, with so much to do and see, the summer is a great time to get outside. It is also a great time for students to take time off from school and relax. However, research has shown that excessive relaxation can lead to reading loss among students. Fortunately, many public libraries host summer reading programs to encourage students to keep reading over the summer and prevent “the summer slide,” the tendency for students to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year. Reading just 4 to 6 books over the summer has the potential to prevent a decline in reading achievement scores from the spring to the fall, so even small steps are very beneficial. This week, I’d like to highlight some of the excellent summer reading programs in the area.
The Corpus Christi Public Library’s Summer Reading Program is a terrific way to keep kids reading as they enjoy a variety of fun and educational activities. The theme of this summer’s reading program is “Unearth A Story.” Interested students can sign up at any of the six library branches. Once enrolled, every book you check out earns tokens for the bubble prize machine and stamps to fill the squares on your checkout cards. Complete all three checkout cards to be entered into a system-wide drawing for prizes and gift cards. The program runs from Monday, June 1st, through Sunday, July 25th, and is open to children and teens ages 0 to 17. To learn more, you can visit Kids and Teen Summer Reading 2026.
Additionally, Port Aransas also has a great summer reading program for children. The 2026 Summer Reading program is being offered by the William R. “Bill” Ellis Memorial Library. The summer reading program began last month for students ages 4-18 and will continue throughout July. The theme of this summer’s program is also “Unearth A Story,” which will focus on dinosaurs, paleontology, archaeology, fossils, ancient life, and the stories hidden beneath the surface. Activities will include story time, crafts, games, and other activities. For more information, contact the library at 361-749-4116.
Along with this, the Aransas County Public Library in Rockport also has summer reading opportunities. This program runs from June 1st through July 31st. The library will have Summer Story Times on Wednesdays at 3:00 PM. In addition to this, the library is providing summer reading logs where children who document 25 hours of reading can receive a prize bag. To learn more about the activities for summer reading please visit the Aransas County Public Library.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this week’s article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. Please always feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or issues regarding a Texas state agency or if you would like to contact my office regarding constituent services. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns, or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Aransas County and Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.texas.gov or at 512-463-0672.
