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Summer Reading = Summer Fun!

by: Librarian Marie Unanue

Summer for many of us is defined by a season of reading. We have a stack of books that we’ve been saving just to read during the summer months. We look forward to reading in the shade on our back porch, under an umbrella at the pool, or on a plane whisking us away on vacation. A book is tucked into our beach bag or packed up with snacks when exploring a new park. We even give ourselves permission to stay up reading later into the night.

Student reading a book on a blanket under a tree outside

Summer is also an important reading season for kids. Book stores, libraries and community centers start rolling out their summer book clubs, and schools send home suggested reading lists. Summer reading programs, designed to encourage children to read during their vacation and develop a reading habit, date all the way back to the 1890’s! Reading may not be a child’s number one pick when competing with summer camp, swimming, riding your bike, going fishing or playing a video game, but I believe it can be the perfect choice. Reading is portable, and you can take it with you wherever you go. Each book offers an adventure, introducing you to new places, new people, new ideas, and new experiences. Reading inside a blanket fort, in a treehouse or in your own bed with a flashlight is simply fun, and many of us have memories of doing that as kids.

Besides being a cure for boredom, summer reading has a host of other benefits for kids.

  • Reading during the summer months encourages kids to develop a lifelong habit.
  • Reluctant readers can be engaged by the prizes, raffles and games included in formalized summer reading programs.
  • Daily reading helps build vocabulary.
  • During the summer, kids have more freedom to choose the books they are reading, and it gives them a chance to explore new genres and interests.
  • Summer reading allows you to practice your reading skills and then practice them some more.
  • Books and reading can spark curiosity and lead to fun experiments, craft projects, nature investigations, and cooking extravaganzas.
Child reading a book on a beach towel in the sun

Tomorrow our students will climb into their cars and officially start summer vacation. I hope each of them begins with a trip to the public library, the unread stack of books at home or their favorite book store in search of the perfect book to start their summer reading adventure.

If looking for a summer reading program for your family, I recommend the STL Summer Adventure program sponsored by the St. Louis County Library and St. Louis Library. Visit STL Summer Adventure for details.

Happy Summer Reading!