From left, Joan Stevenson, Miss Donna holding reading records and Susan Weaver in the Children's section of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. Photo Cathy Tyson

Librarians have a plan for Lamorinda kids this summer. Instead of hours of television and video games, they want them to read books. What a concept! Free of charge, and endlessly entertaining - an opportunity to improve vocabulary, memory and maybe even learn something.

From June 5 to August 16, the Library is encouraging kids of all ages to "Make a Splash" into summer reading. Kicking off the extravaganza will be free special events for all to enjoy from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday June 5th at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. Look for arts, crafts, raffles, live music with the band Crosscut at 2:00 and Jeremy the Juggler at 3:00.

The vintage blues/rock and roll band Crosscut has a special place at the Lafayette Library; three of the four members worked on the construction of the building and one is married to a county librarian.

As part of the "Make a Splash" festivities, very special guest Dave Eggers, author of the best selling memoir, "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" and co-founder of the non-profit writing and tutoring center named after its address, 826 Valencia, is appearing at the Lesher Center for the Arts on Sunday, June 6 at 1:00 p.m. Free tickets are still available to see the charming wordsmith, but call to reserve before they run out (925) 943-7469.

Reading pays - well kind of. In an effort to encourage kids to use the library, reading records are available for babies to teens all summer long, with halfway and completion prizes. Teens in grades six through twelve can cross off a box on their record for every thirty minutes of reading - newspapers, magazines, online all count. For the younger set, ages two through fifth grade, every twenty minutes counts. After completing sixteen simple activities, babies and their parents will receive a board book.

"Our biggest job is promoting literacy," said Senior Community Library Manager Susan Weaver. To that end, she and the other county librarians have put together programs to engage residents and have hundreds of prizes to encourage kids to pick up a book.

To date, the Lafayette Library has had 53 volunteers log approximately 300 hours doing various jobs. There are positions available for teens to volunteer this summer.