Lambton County Library launches Winter Reading Program

Wyoming, ON – Lambton County Library is encouraging kids and teens to read this winter with its annual Winter Reading Program – Bundle Up With A Book. The program is designed to incorporate literacy activities through interactive programming in addition to reading competitions to earn prizes.

This year, kids, teens and educators are invited to register themselves or their classes for the program at lclibrary.ca/wrp. Between Monday, January 10 and Sunday, February 20 participants can set reading goals and report how many books they read weekly for a chance to win prizes for themselves, their classes and their schools.

In addition, teens are encouraged to learn about intellectual freedom and the important role libraries play supporting it. Teens are encouraged to read books from the Freedom To Read challenged works list found at freedomtoread.ca/challenged-works. Teens wishing to earn community involvement activity hours toward their high school diploma will have the opportunity to write a defence of a challenged work they have read, giving a brief summary of the book and commenting on the value of having that book available for people to read. Selected defences may be shared by the Library for promotional purposes. One community involvement activity hour will be awarded for each defence submitted at lclibrary.ca/wrp.

During registration, kids are asked to pick an animal team to join: badger, painted turtle or red fox. At the end of the Winter Reading Program, a draw will be held for one person from each team to win a chance to adopt their animal through the Earth Rangers. With the adoption, the winner will receive a kit that includes: a plush animal, a picture of the adopted animal, an adoption certificate and a 2022 Earth Rangers calendar.

Additionally, by participating both individuals and schools will have a chance to win prizes including:

Individual Participants

• Kids aged 0 – 12 will earn one free book prize for every five books they read to a maximum of three book prizes.
• Teens ages 12 -18 will earn one free book prize for every three books they read, to a maximum of three book prizes. For registering, teens will also be entered into a draw to win one $50 Amazon gift card.

School Participants

• Elementary and secondary school classes with the most number of books read per capita will win a pizza party. One pizza party will be awarded to each of the following grade categories: K-3, 4-8 and 9-12.
• The elementary school with the most number of books read per capita will win a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) or Literacy prize pack valued at $250.
• The secondary school with the most number of books read per capita will win a prize of $250 toward books or supplies for the school’s library.

As part of the Winter Reading Program, Lambton County Library will be offering both online and in-person programming with COVID measures in place including mandatory face coverings, capacity limits and social distancing. Programs include:

Species at Risk with the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority

Wednesday, January 19, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. (Online Program)
Thursday, January 20, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. (Online Program)
Representatives from the Ausable Bay Conservation Authority will teach participants how at risk species local to Lambton County live through the winter months and what you can do to help them.

Author Talk with Shauntay Grant

Wednesday, February 2, 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. (Online Program)
Shauntay Grant is a writer and children’s author. Her picture book “Africville” won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Awards. A descendant of Black Loyalists, Jamaican Maroons, and Black Refugees who came to Canada during the 18th and 19th centuries, her love of literature stretches back to her storytelling roots in Nova Scotia’s historic Black communities. A former poet laureate for the city of Halifax, she teaches creative writing at Dalhousie University.

Author Talk with Brock Greenhalgh

Saturday, February 12, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Online Program)
Brock Greenhalgh has been telling the story of the 1934 Chatham All-Stars baseball team in one form or another for the past 30 years. As he approached his 50th birthday he set a goal of writing a children’s book about the Chatham All-Stars who broke baseball’s colour barrier over a decade before Jackie Robinson.

Author Talk with Kenneth Oppel

Wednesday, February 16, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Online Program)
Kenneth Oppel, a Governor General Award winning author, will be discussing his novel “The Nest”. Kenneth will introduce readers to the strange ingredients that inspired this novel that explores disability and diversity, fears and dreams, and what ultimately makes a family. He will also discuss his creative process, from brainstorming, outlining, and successive drafts to finished book. The first five registrants will be given a free copy of “The Nest”.

Freedom to Read with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association

Intellectual Freedom Workshop

Wednesday, February 23, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Online Program)
Learn about intellectual freedom including your rights and the important role libraries play in their communities with Cara Zwibel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Access to Information

Thursday, February 24, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Online Program)
Learn about access to information rights and the legal rights protected by the Access to Information Act with Dr. Brenda McPhail from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Registration for all programs is available through Lambton County Library’s online calendar at lclibrary.ca/wrp.

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