The Prince Edward Island Provincial Library Service, as provincial coordinating body for the program, offered the TD Summer Reading Club to 25 participating library branches. In total, more than 375 activities were organized to encourage kids to read with nearly 3,500 children taking part. The report also revealed that the most common testimonial from parents and teachers about the program was that it helped children improve their reading habits significantly. In fact, nearly 1,200 registered club members read and enjoyed 9,000 books over the summer!

A joint initiative between TD Bank Financial Group, Library and Archives Canada and the Toronto Public Library, the TD Summer Reading Club is an award-winning program that offers children and their families a fun approach to reading during the summer months. Last summer, over 1,000 reading kits, which include a poster, stickers and an activity booklet, were given to Prince Edward Island children as an incentive to read. The program is offered free to children ages 12 and under every summer in participating public libraries.

This innovative program is an example of how the public library community contributes to raising literacy levels of young Canadians. National and provincial results from the National Report of 2006 Program Statistics were released on the eve of Family Literacy Day, a celebration of the joy and importance of reading. For more information on the Report and on the TD Summer Reading Club, visit www.td-club-td.ca.