Proud to be from Pittsburgh: Carnegie Library's Summer Reading Program

Thousands of children and teenagers from across Pittsburgh made time to read during the past few months. They are fighting what's known as the summer slide where students' academic skills decline while not in school.

"I read 400 books last summer," said 16-year old Barbara Pimentel.

Pimentel is known as a super reader in the Carnegie Library's Summer Reading Program. The program starts in June and goes until Aug 31.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Communication Manager Suzanne Thinnes says readers keep going above and beyond every year.

"We're approaching 194,000 books that were logged in the summer months, which is an outstanding number, and that number keeps increasing every year," said Thinnes.

Reading goes beyond a physical book; it includes e-books and audiobooks. More than 14,000 children and teens participated in library's Summer Reading Program which Thinnes says helped prevent the summer slide.

"Over the summer months studies have shown that they lose the knowledge they have learned from one grade to another," said Thinnes.

Pimentel has been participating for years and loves to fill her days off by keeping her mind engaged.

"You get to learn more things, in different cultures depending on what you're reading," said Pimentel.

Young readers at Carnegie Library are making us proud to be from Pittsburgh.

Cox Media Group