Reading with the Rays: Read your way to the ballpark

Welcome to the Reading with the Rays program!

With baseball season and summer in full swing, the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper in Education department has partnered with the Tampa Bay Rays and the libraries in Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas counties for a fun and exciting summer.

Reading with the Rays will encourage you to read more this summer and to visit the library regularly before you return to school this fall. By reading books this summer, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas county elementary school students in grades three through five can circle the bases - first, second, third and home - and collect prizes as they go.

Make it all the way around to home and your ultimate reward is a ticket to see the Rays in action at Tropicana field in August or September.
You can see the Rays at one of the following games (based on availability of tickets):

Tuesday, 8/2 vs. Toronto @ 7:10 p.m.
Friday, 8/5 vs. Oakland @ 7:10 p.m.
Tuesday, 8/9 vs. Kansas City @ 7:10 p.m.
Wednesday, 8/10 vs. Kansas City @ 7:10 p.m.
Sunday, 8/21 vs. Seattle @ 1:40 p.m.
Monday, 8/22 vs. Detroit @ 7:10 p.m.
Sunday, 9/4 vs. Baltimore @ 1:40 p.m.
Friday, 9/23 vs. Toronto @ 7:10 p.m.

The Rays are excited about this summer reading program. To see what Evan Longoria, Wade Davis, James Shields, Kelly Shoppach, Ben Zobrist and, of course, Raymond have to say about reading, be sure to get your copy of Reading with the Rays: Read your way to the ballpark which will be in your St. Petersburg Times and tbt* newspapers on June 17. If you miss that edition of the newspaper, you can pick up a copy of the publication at your local library.

Click here to download a copy of the Reading with the Rays publication.

Click here for the Rays news!

Click here for the official Tampa Bay Rays website

Click here for the Reading with the Rays blog

Get in the know!
This summer, the Times staff want you to get “In the know” by reading our Strike Zone feature in the BayLink section every Monday. The Strike Zone will include some fun facts and a weekly activity you and your family can do with your newspaper. Each activity will bring you to an online journaling activity on the NIE Blogging Zone. You even can ask questions of your favorite sports journalists, Marc Topkin, John Romano and Gary Shelton.

NIE Blogging Zone
The NIE Blogging Zone - is designed specifically for students: tampabay.com/blogs/niezone. This discussion board is a great way for students to have authentic writing experiences with an audience that ranges far beyond the home and classroom. Students can share their thoughts, ideas and experiences as much as possible.

Visit your library and read your way to the ballpark

After a hard day at the ballpark, Evan Longoria’s favorite part of the day is relaxing and reading the newspaper. Reading can be relaxing as well as entertaining. You can enjoy the best of both worlds this summer by participating in the Rays Read your way to the ballpark program. Your local library can be a great place to have fun during the summer break.

By reading books and exploring the Internet, you can have a lot of adventures. Remember to share these adventures with others around Tampa Bay on the 2011 Reading with the Rays blog.

Books are your ticket to learning about the past and traveling around the world this summer. Be your own travel agent and choose your destinations that will lead you right back to the Tampa Bay area and Tropicana Field. The best place to find your favorite books is @ your library.

You can pick up your Reading with the Rays score card @your library
The following library systems are proud partners of the Reading with the Rays program:

Hernando County Library System
Website: hcpl.lib.fl.us
Phone: 352-754-4043

Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative
Website: hclpc.org
Phone: 813-273-3652

Manatee County Library System
Website: www.mymanatee.org/library.html
Phone: 941-748-5555

Pasco County Library Cooperative
Website: pascolibraries.org
Phone: 727-861-3040

Pinellas Public Library Cooperative
Website: pplc.us
Phone: 727-441-8408

Want to have some fun this summer?
Check out your library’s summer programs. You can find out about your library’s calendar of events, kids’ programs and special events by going to the main library web page.

Click here to download the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative NIE publication, “One World Many Stories @ your library”