It's always sunny when you're cool, and reading is very cool.

Despite gray clouds lingering overhead, Dartmouth’s elementary school students donned custom-made sunglasses Monday as they filed outside their classrooms, laid down beach towels in the grass and read.

The school’s end-of-year book program, the “Summer Reading Kick Off,” returned on June 9 in an attempt to inform kids that reading time doesn’t end with the school year.

“It’s getting the students ready for the summer, and getting them excited about reading,” said literacy coach Lisa Reitzas.

At the event, students stepped outside to talk about books and to read in groups. Art teachers at the schools helped students create sunglasses to wear at the event, and students were encouraged to bring towels to lie on while reading outside.

The day concluded with every student from pre-kindergarten to the fifth grade receiving a new book courtesy of the school. Dartmouth’s four public elementary schools — Cushman, DeMello, Potter and Quinn — all participated in the program.

“We all know in the summer kids are busy, so they’re not reading as much. We want to make sure they’re enthusiastic about reading,” she said.

Students in kindergarten through the fourth grade were given a choice between two books that teachers had previously selected. Pre-kindergarten students received a copy of “Biscuit Goes to School” by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, and fifth graders got a copy of “Bystander” by James Preller.

“It used to be that we just gave a book to every child. But for the past couple of years, we really wanted them to have a choice in their reading. It gets them a little more excited,” said Reitzas.

Teachers at Cushman read to their classes in the field behind the school. Teachers at DeMello and Potter Elementary sent classes outside throughout the day.

Anne Goodman’s fifth grade class at Pottery Elementary broke up into groups to read the back cover of “Bystander” and discuss the book’s plot. Preller’s book follows a seventh-grader who moves to a new town and befriends a bully.

“We have a social/emotional curriculum that talks about being a bystander, so for these children, they get a context for the story,” said Goodman.

At Quinn Elementary, all the students celebrated the kick-off near the end of the day. Children were encouraged to bring a book they personally enjoyed to share with friends out on the grassy fields surrounding the school.

Reitzas said the reading program is more than simply sending kids home with a new book.

“They’ll go home with the idea that we want them to keep being readers. Even though it’s summertime, you never stop reading,” said Reitzas.