Wake libraries kick off teen summer contest this week

Teens can win books, ice cream and more for reading and writing this summer as part of Wake County's teen summer contest.

The contest starts Wednesday at most Wake library branches. Some branches will start the contest a little later. Once the contest starts, teens can begin earning either tickets or book bucks (depending on the library branch) which they can turn in for prizes. Kids ages 12 to 18 can participate.

They'll earn the tickets or book bucks by doing a variety of things - reading books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, fan fiction and more; attending library teen events; writing book reviews or blog posts for the library's teen blog, Flip the Switch: Teens Awake; and asking their local librarian for other ways to earn them at their local library.

The summer reading program for younger kids also is gearing up at local libraries and I'll have more details on that in the next few days.