Summer reading season got off to a fast start at the West Bloomfield Township Main Library, said librarian Dana Kratt, as the library hosted a party ringing in the library's special Summer Reading program earlier in the month.

Parents and grandparents can team up with the Library to keep children’s reading skills sharp.

Research shows that children who read five or more books during summer vacation gained more in reading achievement than classmates who took a break from books.

Librarians can help find books, eBooks, audiobooks, graphic novels and magazines to interest even the most reluctant reader. Even the youngest children can participate with the “Read-to-Me” program for kids from birth to age five. 

For details including registration information, visit the Patch community Events calendar.

In addition, for the first time, Patch has teamed up with award-winning author James Patterson’s ReadKiddoRead program to bring you summer reading lists for every age. 

Among the most popular new releases:

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
• The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
• Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed