2023 Summer Reading - All Together Now Blog

03/17/2023

All Together Now

The 2023 summer reading theme is “All Together Now”. This theme may be a head-scratcher for a few of you, while many of you may have your program all planned out and ready to go. If you are still pondering ideas for this summer's reading theme, we are here to help.

Last week when attending the Mountain Plains Library Association/Oklahoma Library Association Conference, I had the opportunity to talk with several librarians about their ideas for their summer reading program.

Conner Kirk, Programs/Reference Coordinator at Western Plains Library System, had some wonderful ideas. One of his ideas that stood out was, “Reading Through the Decades”. Go through the books from your shelves and find friendships from a specific decade. One example is the Frog and Toad books from the 1970’s. Create a groovy space for kids to read, while learning about the friendship of Frog and Toad. Maybe even add in some tie-dye crafting, music, and a disco ball!

Here are a few more famous friends from over the years:

1. Winnie the Pooh and Piglet
2. Beezus and Ramona
3. Henry and Beezus
4. George and Martha
5. Charlotte and Wilbur
6. The BFG and Sophie
7. Lorax and the Once-ler
8. Calvin and Hobbes
9. Opal and Winn-Dixie

Here are a few of the newer friendships:

1. Dragon Girls
2. Baby-Sitter Club
3. Dog Man and Cat Kid
4. Big Nate

You could also pull in some nonfiction history about animals, places, and time. Once you choose the books you want to revolve around the theme of “All Together Now”, find some craft ideas that match your decade.

Another idea for the summer reading theme is a community garden. The community garden could either be next to the library or elsewhere but is a great opportunity for children to learn about community, sharing, kindness and fun. Children could also check out a seasonal craft book and/or cookbook to learn more about a community or other people’s traditions.

A third idea for the summer reading program would be Pen Pals. Of course, the security and safety of children do need to come into play, so here are a few safe ways to have a Pen Pal.

1. Have kids write to a family member that may not live near them.
2. Partner with a local senior community (they would both enjoy it).
3. Kids for Peace has a Pen Pal program. Check it out here.
4. Have your kids write to their favorite author.
5. Operation Gratitude has a program set up to send letters to Military and First Responders. Each letter will allow children to spread their kindness to a new person. Register here to get started.

Now that we have shared a few ideas, you can choose to do one or all the ideas to make your library an exciting place this summer. Happy Summer! #Penworthy #Summerreading

Written by Nancy Stetzinger, Penworthy’s Product Manager