Public libraries offer a surprising array of free activities as well as reading incentives to keep teens busy, entertained and engaged in learning when school is out. Special events may include book clubs, craft get-togethers, talent shows, low-cost film schools, teen police academies, lessons in stilt walking, game nights and writing groups. Usually, participants have the opportunity to win prizes for reading. The more they read, the more chances to win prizes ranging from books to baseball tickets, restaurant coupons and computers. The Denver metro area provides a good example of the ways libraries lure teens through their doors in the summertime.
Most teens have been around computers since they began school, so they are comfortable negotiating the Internet. There are many online sites, such as TeenReads, which provide reviews of young adult books. TeenReads offers book trailer videos, author interviews, reviews and a clever summer reading contest involving a beach bag full of books, lotions, snacks, flip flops and other goodies. Canadian teens can participate in the summer reading program of the online, year-round Teen Reading Club (TRC) sponsored by public libraries across that nation. TRC encourages teens to publish their writing and offers summer reading prizes including laptop computers and digital camcorders.
Many tutoring services are available for students who have difficulty with reading. Attending after-school tutoring during the school year sometimes can be counterproductive if students experience burnout. But summer is a good time to fill in holes in skills, because teens usually aren't in school or saddled with homework. Tutoring fees can range from free to thousands of dollars. Services may be provided by school districts, churches, and municipalities or by private companies that have tutoring centers or provide the service in the student's home. Sometimes education organizations offer tutoring programs at local libraries. For example, in Wakefield, Massachussets, Lucius Beebe Memorial Library partners with its city's Special Education Parent Advisory Council to provide low-cost tutoring by high school students. High school students are sometimes the best tutors since their experience with subject matter is fresh.