So last summer I got this idea that I wanted to do a summer reading program for grownups. As a librarian I have seen countless summer reading initiatives to keep kids reading during their off-school months, but I kind of wanted to do this with grownups. Virtually, so you could participate from anywhere, at any time. And give away prizes!
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It took me a while, but I finally got all of the prizes out the door from the summer reading club for grownups. I didn’t even take any photos; one of the winners sent this one to me after she received her prize (thanks, JJ!).
I’m so behind, and still catching up after my last day of school on June 24th. June was weird. I did some writing I’m tremendously proud of, had some disappointing news, packed up my library for its renovation, and said goodbye to my aunt. I chopped my hair short at the beginning of the month and am still adjusting.
Read more on June Was Something Else. Time to Plan Summer! And Summer Reading!…
This week I just did a straightforward craft. Originally we were going to make buggy pencil toppers out of erasable Sculpey clay, but due to budget and time constraints I dropped that plan in favor of the go-to pipe cleaner option.
I sort of backed myself into a corner with my program this week. When our department was planning the summer reading program, I knew I would go crazy if everything I did was about bugs. So I came up with Quit Bugging Me! as a way to play on the theme but get some other books in. I wanted to read books about being pestered, basically. Grouchiness, brattiness, things that follow you. I had fun picking the books, but when it came to the craft I was at a loss. What kind of craft goes with brattiness? And works for toddlers through ten-year-olds?
Today was my first true program of the summer. I based it around this fantastic book of poems, The Bookworm’s Feast by J. Patrick Lewis. Lewis did not write all the poems in the book, the last page gives credit to some other writers. But the general idea is that a gentleman bookworm throws a party for his friends, and they dive into the most delicious literature. The poems are about books, animals, lots of great things. I read a selection of poems to the kids, including “The Gentleman Bookworm,” “The Framboise Fair,” “Read…Think…Dream,” and “Two Good Books.” Then I finished with “The End of the Bookworm’s Feast.” The illustrations by John O’Brien are enjoyable, and I think most of the kids liked the poems.