Brown Library is preparing to unmask its teen summer reading program next week.

The program, for rising eighth-graders to graduating high school seniors, is set for June 19 through July 25. Registration began June 1 and will continue, leading up to the program. With this year’s theme, “Unmask,” participants will immerse themselves in a variety of activities and possibly make some new friends along the way, according to Elizabeth Tankard, a library assistant.

Tankard said the program has successfully grown from year to year, harnessing more and more area teens toward reading and related activities.

“Every year we want to get more kids and give them a safe and fun place to do activities that aren’t as structured as school,” Tankard said. “Some of our kids have made tight friendships so it’s been pretty awesome. It’s a great opportunity for them to get out and socialize and interact with kids in their age range that have the same interests.”

Through the program, designed by the Collaborative Summer Library Program, a national organization that promotes literacy through library programs, teens are motivated to read and discuss literature, according to the CSLP website. With this year’s program centered around heroes and heroines found in books and movies, the program’s participants have the chance to partake in a lineup of activities this summer relating to superheroes from movies and graphic novels and protagonists featured in stories.

Among them include movie screenings based on books available at the library, arts and crafts activities, a reading contest and a Heroes and Villains Masquerade Ball at the end of the summer, Tankard said. For teens to be admitted to the ball, they must bring a donation for Eagle’s Wings Food Pantry or Beaufort County Animal Shelter in the form of a canned good or a bag of dog good, for example. The library will also announce the summer’s top-three readers, based on a point system that allows participants to earn one point for each book they read, according to library assistant Claudia Dahlen.

A screening on June 19 will feature a Batman marathon, including pizza and door prizes, for the kickoff event, said Tankard. Also on tap this summer will be a heroes and villains mask creation, the products of which will serve as personal masks for the masqueraders, as well as an Anime marathon on July 17, to name a few.

Tankard, who heads the ordering of books for the library based on demand and popularity, said one of the biggest trends in teen reading presently is graphic novels, something that the library uses to rope graphic novel readers into transitioning to traditional novels and classics.

The library staff hopes this year’s theme will compel more male teens to join the program, as female participation has been more dominant in years past, Tankard said.

“We have our regular kids that come back every year, but it’s so great to see new faces,” Tankard said. “With the theme, I think we’ll get more boys. A lot of boys aren’t as active in reading as girls, but we want to reinforce with boys that reading is still very cool. The graphic novels are a great gateway for our reluctant readers, but it’s all about feeling comfortable and doing what you would like to do. We are always here to help and we want to encourage them to come because it’s a great opportunity to meet new people. It’s all about building the personal relationships with the kids. We love our kids.”

To register, visit the Brown Library at 122 Van Norden, Washington, or call 252-946-4300.