TIFTON — The weather may be cooler than usual, but school will be out Friday, summer is almost here and it’s time for area reading programs to get under way.

Studies have shown that children who don’t read during the summer months can lose as much as two grade levels over their elementary school years when compared to kids who do read, Coastal Plain Regional Library Regional and Branch Services Coordinator Christie Paulk said Tuesday.

The CPRL’s six area locations have lots of activities planned to draw children in and keep them reading, said Paulk. Events kick off Tuesday, May 26, when registration for the “Be Creative @ Your Library” program begins. Children will be given a log in which to keep track of the books they read and can turn the logs in and receive small prizes.

Juggler/comedian Todd Key will present his show, “Flying Debris,” at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 27, at the Victoria Evans Memorial Library in Ashburn, at 2 p.m. at the Cook County Library and at 4:30 at the Irwin County Library. On Thursday, May 28, Key will perform at 10 a.m. at the Carrie Dorsey Perry Memorial Library in Nashville, at 2 p.m. at the Leroy Rogers Center in Tifton and then at 6:30 p.m. at the Coastal Plain Regional Library, 2014 Chesnutt Ave., Tifton. The event at the Rogers center will also include registration for summer reading for children and teens from 1 to 2 p.m.

Other performers scheduled during the summer are storyteller Tersi Bendiburg, storyteller Windell Campbell, magician Ken Scott and musician Jeff Robbins. Musician Anna Moo will appear at the Cook and Irwin libraries and Coach Donna Sledge will present “Shake It UP! Children in Motion” at the Leroy Rogers Center.

Complete schedules for all events are available at the libraries, and events will be announced in The Gazette.

“The cool thing is, if you miss a performance at one library, you can go and see it at another location,” Paulk said. “A lot of the big performances for Tifton will be at the Leroy Rogers Center for larger groups, and then parents who have gotten off from work can take their kids to the one here (at the Coastal Plain site).

“It’s all free family fun at your library.”

For more information about the summer program, call the Coastal Plain Regional Library at 386-3400 or the Tifton-Tift County Public Library at 386-7148. CPRL hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the TTCPL is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.