It’s going to be story-hour at 400 Maryland Ave. - all summer long.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is planning to read to kids on the lawn of the U.S. Department of Education on a regular basis throughout the summer. (Suggest your favorite children’s classics in the comments section).

He may even be joined by other cabinet secretaries from time to time.

The program is part of the White House’s Summer of Service initiative, “United We Serve” which kicks off on Monday, and runs through Sept. 11. Duncan’s cabinet colleagues are getting in on the act too. For instance, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood will be helping build homes with Habitat for Humanity in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Duncan’s first stop on the reading tour will actually be Fanwood Memorial Library in Fanwood, N.J. On Monday, he’ll be reading to students in kindergarten through third grade and meeting with representatives of the New Jersey Regional Libraries. He’ll be reading Wide Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner and possibly How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague.

The project is meant to highlight the importance of reading in stemming the summer slip-off. Research shows that if kids read just five books over the summer, they might be able to prevent the decline in reading achievement scores that often occurs over the vacation months, according to a statement from the Department.

Photo by Christopher Powers for Education Week.