Mall reading room gives kids, parents comfy spot to relax
Norman resident Jessica Perez and her daughter, Alina, 7, typically ride the escalators and elevators for fun when they visit Penn Square Mall.
On a recent trip, they discovered another activity on the mall’s second floor next to Dillard’s: Reading.
“We passed by and there were greeters outside and they invited us in,” Perez said. “Basically it’s a nice warm reading nook, so after walking all day at the mall it’s nice to come in and take a break and relax and read a book.”
The Oklahoma City Public Schools Reading Room will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday for its final weekend.
The space, donated by the mall’s management company, is colorful and comfortable, with soft blue chairs and shelves of books for readers of every age.
“It’s just so important,” Perez said. “My daughter’s going on to first grade and that’s what they’re focusing on in school is reading.”
Volunteer staff like Gloria Montiel say the goal is to get children hooked on reading at a young age.
“All we’re trying to do today is help kids get their 20 minutes of reading in and maybe give Mom and Dad a break to sit down and maybe rest their feet and read with the kids,” said Montiel, enterprise sales manager for Cox Business.
“It’s air-conditioned and tons of people come through here, so you get a lot of foot traffic,” she said.
As part of the Read OKC initiative launched in May by the Oklahoma City Schools Compact, students are encouraged to read 1,200 minutes during their summer break, an average of 20 minutes per day.
The emphasis on summer reading is part of a broader literacy effort led by the Compact and its partners — the city, Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools, United Way, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and the school district.
Energy soccer, Dodgers baseball and Thunder basketball teams are helping promote the Get in the Game reading initiative.
Children can check out books from Metro libraries using only their student IDs — no library card required.
The goal of Get in the Game is to reach students where they are, whether it’s summer school, a metro library, Boys and Girls Clubs, church or a Food Bank summer feeding site, officials said.
The reading room is free, and students can take a book home with them if they promise to bring it back. Other books are donated and free for the taking, said volunteer Julien Warren.
“I love that it’s such a populated place ... and families can come inside for a free time to read a book,” she said.