- More than 550,000 children are expected to participate in this year's program -

TORONTO, June 13, 2012 /CNW/ - TD Bank Group kicks off the annual TD Summer Reading Club today across Canada in an effort to help children build and maintain strong reading skills throughout the summer months. With this year's theme of Imagine, TD is encouraging parents and children to let their creativity run wild as they explore the world of reading at more than 1900 local participating public libraries across Canada.

"We are passionate about children's literacy and have been proud to support the TD Summer Reading Club for the past 17 years," said Frank McKenna, Deputy Chair, TD Bank Group. "Together with our partners at the Toronto Public Library and Library and Archives Canada we are thrilled to bring this program to more than 550,000 children once again this year."

TD Summer Reading Club offers a wide array of activities designed to help children develop an affinity for reading and reduce learning loss over the summer. In a Harris-Decima survey conducted in 2011, one third (33 per cent) of TD Summer Reading Club participating families reported their children were 'hooked' on reading and were reading more frequently. Confirming the results of a 2010 Fiore and Roman study on summer reading retention, families indicated that the TD Summer Reading Club eased their children's transition back to school in the fall.

"Our goal is to encourage children and parents to visit their local library this summer and take advantage of this outstanding program," said Jane Pyper, City Librarian, Toronto Public Library. "This year, libraries are expected to host more than 34,000 programs and activities enabling children to read more than two million books in both English and French.

"Reading can transport children to a world where magic happens and their imaginations are set free," said Dr. Daniel J. Caron, Deputy Head and Librarian and Archivist of Canada. "We encourage young readers to discover the fun that can be found in the pages of a book this summer."

TD Summer Reading Club Activities

TD Summer Reading Club has a book list for every imagination. Parents can guide their children through epic quests, time travel adventures, and sprawling far-off worlds with fantastical machines and mythical creatures. It also offers kits to help parents share the joy of reading with their children, which include an activity booklet, book recommendations, posters, and a special sticker reward system that children use to earn a reading certificate. New this year is a special activity booklet for pre-school children, which provides an age-appropriate book list and activities for parents to help their child develop early literacy skills.

Children can benefit from a wide range of activities led by library staff and volunteers at public libraries across Canada. Participating public libraries will host stories, nursery rhymes, songs, quizzes, celebrations, treasure hunts, crafts and contests, all giving children and parents a chance to share their favourite reading experience with new friends. The theme for 2012 TD Summer Reading Club encourages Canadian parents and children to Imagine the friends they could make both at public library events, and from the pages of a book.

For more information about the 2012 TD Summer Reading Club, as well as suggested reading lists, interactive games, jokes and scavenger hunts, please visit www.tdsummerreadingclub.ca.

TD Community Giving

TD invests in communities to make a positive impact where it does business and where our customers, clients and employees live and work. In 2011, TD donated over $66 million to support community organizations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In Canada, we focus on Education and Financial Literacy, Creating Opportunities for Young People, and the Environment. For more information, please visit www.td.com/corporateresponsibility.