To kick start the beginning of summer, the Washington Nationals are proud to announce the return of the Nationals Summer Reading Program! The Nationals have expanded the partnership to now include seven local library systems. The program encourages children and teens to read throughout the summer by joining their local library’s summer reading challenges. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, all participating libraries will run their reading challenges virtually for the 2020 summer season.

For the seventh consecutive year, the Nationals will be the primary sponsor for D.C. Public Library’s Summer Reading Challenge. The Summer Challenge is the largest program in the District that addresses the “summer slide” or the loss of learning that children and teens experience when they do not read during summer vacation. In May, the Nationals announced that the Summer Reading Program was expanding to the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) with Summer @ Your Library, for which the Washington Nationals are proud to be the Presenting Sponsor. For more details on the Nationals and the PGCMLS announcement, please click here. The Nationals are also very excited to partner for the second consecutive year with the Arlington County Public Library and for the first year with Fairfax, Loudoun, Alexandria, and Montgomery County Libraries.

“The Nationals are delighted to have a record number of local library systems participating in this year’s Summer Reading Program,” said Gregory McCarthy, Senior Vice President of Community Engagement for the Washington Nationals. “This summer, more than ever, we are proud to help prevent the ‘summer slide’ and bring the joys of reading to as many residents of the national capital region as possible.”

The Summer Reading Program now includes the following library systems: 

• D.C. Public Library

• Arlington County Library

• Prince George’s County Memorial Public Library 

• Montgomery County Library

• Fairfax County Library

• Loudoun County Library

• Alexandria City Library

• Nats On Base Military Libraries

The Nationals are excited to have book-lover and pitcher Sean Doolittle return as the Nationals Summer Reading Program Ambassador for the third consecutive year! 

Children ages 6-18 who complete their local library’s summer reading program will have the opportunity to win tickets to a future Nationals game! To learn more about the Summer Reading Program, please visit: nationals.com/Summer-Reading.

Along with local library reading programs, fans can also visit the Reading Resource section of the Nationals Home and Away page for various story times read by Nationals players and reading activities which includes several age-specific initiatives and Nationals-related games.