Pizza Hut is also sponsoring six free performances at the Central Library. There are puppet shows and other events each week at all library locations, including special visits from Bonkers the Clown and Sparky the Fire Dog. Mayor Kirk's summer program responds to a serious need. The United States ranks 15th in the world in overall literacy, with 14 percent of Americans unable to read or write. One in five high school graduates is functionally illiterate.
Studies show that the single most common characteristic of at-risk youth is limited basic skills.
In the first three weeks following its launch, over 12,000 children and teens signed up for the Mayor's program. Learning to read and loving it is a key that can unlock so many doors for children. With the goal of teaching children to read, to grow and to expand their capabilities, we have empowered them for greater things in the future. The key, he says, is to develop a reading program that is both entertaining and accessible to all. There is such a wide world out there, and we can open it up and share it with our children by encouraging them to grow mentally through reading.