Maricopa children will have the opportunity to be dazzled by a very different storytelling experience tonight at Copper Sky.

Valley-based performer “Mrs. B’s Story Time with a twist!” will bring her interactive and educational show to the gym at 5:30 p.m.

“The twist is that a lot of the stories are done in very different ways, and we also use a lot of different music,” said Carri Blake-Brekke, also known as “Mrs. B”.

Blake-Brekke’s sister, puppeteer Jodi Melton, will also be on-hand for the night’s entertainment.

The event is free and families do not have to be members of Copper Sky to attend.

The occasion kick-starts the Maricopa Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, which promotes continual learning during the long break from school.

“We are trying to prevent the summer slide — kids not keeping up with what they’ve learned throughout the school year — but in a fun way,” said Ann Marie Creegan, senior library coordinator.

According to the National Summer Learning Association’s website, low-income children are especially at risk, with studies showing they “lose two to three months in reading” over the summer.

The reading program is free to register and is open to every child from birth to 17-years-old.

“A realistic goal is to read, or be read to, at least 20 minutes a day,” according to a city press release. Participants can register for the program at the event, at the library or online at maricopa.azsummerreading.org.

Young booklovers can choose between three reading goals:

1.       The Empire State Building Challenge: Read 400 minutes by the end of the summer

2.       The Willis Tower Challenge: Read 800 minutes by the end of the summer

3.       The Burj Khalifa Challenge: Read 1,200 minutes by the end of the summer

Participants log their minutes on the city website through July 15. Those who meet their halfway mark, as well as those who finish the program, can then visit the library for prizes.

“If they complete how many minutes they want to read, they get entered into drawings, Creegan said. “We have some really cool prizes: we have a couple of bikes (and scooters) to raffle off.”

Additionally, all children who meet their reading goal by the end of the program will be invited to a pool party at Copper Sky to celebrate.

Creegan said children are encouraged to read any medium that suits them, whether that be a magazine, e-book or website-reading.

“This is the time for them to do their recreational, fun reading,” she said.