Kids can keep their reading skills sharp over the coming summer vacation by taking part in the Knoxville Public Library’s Summer Reading program beginning next month.

The space-themed program this year is “A Universe of Stories”; kids can come in to the library on June 3rd and 4th between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. to register for this year. If they complete a certain amount of reading time during the course of the program, they get an opportunity to win prizes.

Holly Shelford from the Knoxville Public Library tells KNIA/KRLS News encouraging kids to keep reading over the summer is necessary for their educational development.

“Research has just shown that during the summer, if kids do not keep up on their reading skills that when they return back to school in the fall that they’ve fallen some…months of their grade level behind. And so this just keeps them on track, keeps them in practice, and that way when they go back to school in the fall they’re ready to attend school,” Shelford says.

Children have until June 17th to register for prizes; the program will run through July 11th.