MILFORD — Milford Public Library will celebrate Teen Read Week, from Oct. 18-24, with a selfie station for teens and refreshments on Wednesday, Oct. 21, after school until 6 p.m. in the teen area of the library.

Teen Read Week events are aimed at encouraging teens around the area to read for the fun of it. Thousands of libraries, schools and bookstores across the country will hold similar events centered on this year’s theme, “Get Away at your Library.”

Teen Read Week is a time to celebrate reading for fun while encouraging teens to take advantage of reading in all its forms: books, magazines, e-books, audiobooks and more. It is also a great opportunity to encourage teens to become regular library users. In recent years, many families have had to adapt to make do with less as a result of the economy. Teen Read Week is a great opportunity for teens and their families to learn about all the free services and resources the library offers. The library also offers a safe and supervised space for adolescents to engage in creative, educational activities with caring adults and mentors.

Moreover, according to Julie Frew, strong reading skills are more critical than ever because they translate into better performance at school and better preparedness for careers. This is why it is important to take advantage of Teen Read Week and show teens that reading is a fun and relaxing activity they can do for free.

Milford Public Library invites teens, parents and other concerned community members to participate in special programs and events during Teen Read Week. All 24 titles nominated for Top Teen Reads of 2015 are available for checking out. The books are on display in the teen area. These titles have been nominated by teens as the best fiction of the year.

Teens can go online to www.ala.org/yalsa/reads4teens and vote for up to three favorite nominees. You must be between the ages of 12-18 to cast a vote. Voting takes place from now till Oct. 18, when winning titles will be announced.

Any time during Teen Read Week, stop by the teen area and take a “Get Away At Your Library” selfie with your favorite book. There will be vacation props to use to make a great photo.

Parents of teens are also encouraged to celebrate Teen Read Week at home. Milford Public Library offers these ideas: Set aside time each day for the family to read; give books or magazine subscriptions to your teen as a gift or reward; share your favorite book with your teen; go online with your teen to learn about new books or authors by visiting www.ala.org/yalsa/reads4teens, or use YALSA’s free teen book Finder app; or use meal time to talk about books that you are reading.

Teen Read Week is a national adolescent literacy initiative created by the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association. It is held annually during the third week of October. For more information, visit www.ala.org/teenread.