Young Readers at The New York Public Library Honored by New York Yankees at Summer Reading Celebration

Kids  meet Yankees on the field after winning essay contest about “Building a Better World” through books    

August 30, 2017— Four young readers  who participated in The New York Public Library's Summer Reading Challenge will be honored at Yankee Stadium August 30, shortly before the Yankees' game against the Cleveland Indians. The patrons were selected to represent summer readers across the NYPL system after submitting essays in response to the topic “building a better world through books.” The contest winners are:

  • Khandker Shafwan Habib, age 7, from Westchester Square Library

  • Mariam Khelashvili, age 8, from Roosevelt Island Library

  • Kai Lefkowitz, age 10, from Tompkins Square Library

  • Anna Zhang, age 15, from George Bruce Library

The winners’ essays can be read online at NYPL Blogs: www.nypl.org/blog/2017/08/29/summer-reading-essay-contest-winners.

“To quote Mariam Khelashvili, one of NYPL’s essay contest winners: ‘Books fill children’s lives with joy, inspiration, and wonder, but they also inspire them to be kind and to fulfill good deeds. And they also teach you other things… Without books, the world would not be able to change for the better,’” said Christopher Platt, Chief Branch Library Officer. “The New York Public Library was founded on the principle that a great city needs a great library with books to educate and inspire. Congratulations to all of our summer readers, it is truly a privilege to honor them today. But, it is even more encouraging to see their growing love and appreciation for books, which will nurture their ambitions and spark their thirst for knowledge.”

The Library’s annual Summer Reading Challenge – themed “Building a Better World” this year– kicked off June 8 with an all-day block party featuring The Jumbies author Tracey Baptiste at the Harlem Library.

The Summer Reading Challenge encourages children, teens, and parents to spend at least 20 minutes each day reading. Participants received prizes for accomplishing the task. Open to over 1.1 million students in New York City, Summer Reading helps prevent "summer slide," the effect of school children often falling behind in reading skills during the summer vacation months. It is The New York Public Library’s largest annual program for children and teens, offering extensive programming at library branches throughout the summer.

The most popular children’s book for the summer was Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down and the most popular book for teens was The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas.

The New York Public Library’s Summer Reading Program is generously funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York; HSBC Bank; New York Yankees Foundation; The Rona Jaffe Foundation; HBO®; New York State Library's Family Literacy Library Services grant program; Pine Tree Foundation of New York, Inc.; May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc.; anonymous donors, and the continuing major support of the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Family Endowment for Young Audiences.  Special thanks to partner Sesame Street.

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.  

Media Contact:

Amy Geduldig | 212.592.7177 | AmyGeduldig@nypl.org