Whether it is school, homework, extracurricular activities, surfing the Internet, playing video games or watching TV, teens are busy from the minute they wake up until their heads hit their pillows. But what about good old-fashioned reading? Sometimes it seems like many teens have forgotten how beneficial it is to simply pick up a book and read. That’s why I’m encouraging teens to participate in Teen Read Week from Oct. 13 through Oct. 19.

Teen Read Week is a perfect time to instill a lifetime love of reading in our kids. There’s nothing like being engrossed in a good book; reading can help teens (temporarily) put issues aside and instead explore new worlds. Reading can also help our kids expand their vocabularies, learn more about the topics they love and improve their performance at school.

Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative organized by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Each year, the overarching theme is “Read For the Fun Of It.” This year’s subtheme is “Seek the Unknown @ your library.” Participating in Teen Read Week is free and can be as simple as encouraging teens to pick up a book, taking them to the book store or dropping them off at the library to explore and pick up a few good reads. Teens can also now vote for their favorite books in the “2013 Teens’ Top Ten” contest at ala.org/yalsa/reads4teens.

Every year, the Assembly partners with New York State libraries to encourage children to continue reading during the summer after the school year ends. Upon completion of the Summer Reading Challenge, children and teens receive a New York State Assembly Excellence in Reading Certificate. Teen Read Week is a great way to continue the momentum of the Summer Reading Challenge into the fall.

With so many great books out there, your teen will be engaged and flipping pages in no time. If you’re looking for more details on how to get involved, visit the Young Adult Library Association’s website at ala.org/yalsa. If I can be of any assistance with this or any other community issue, please feel free to contact me at 516-599-2972 or solagesm@assembly.state.ny.us.