Welcome! On this page you will find resources related to summer reading programs for adults. For more resources related to summer reading for children and teens, please visit the 4CLS Summer Reading Program LibGuide.
The summer reading theme from the Collaborative Summer Reading Program for 2024 is Adventure Begins at Your Library!
Jurassic Park or "Choose Your Own Adventure" Themed Escape Rooms (This recorded webinar Escape This: Creating DIY Escape Rooms might help!)
Virtual tours of National Parks/State Park
https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog/take-virtual-visit-national-park
Camping 101 program
Metal detector demonstration
Group Hike
Create a 'Choose Your Own Mini Adventure at the Library Bingo Board'
Survival Trivia Game
Create An Adventure Vision Board or Bucket List
Gift cards from local restaurants and businesses
Entries into raffles for more expensive items like Kindles, air fryers, bicycles
Coffee mugs (One idea- have a different mug every year, becomes a "collectable")
Gas and grocery gift cards
Themed gift baskets
Bookish Trailblazers: https://programminglibrarian.org/programs/bookish-trailblazers
Virtual Tales & Travels Adventures: https://programminglibrarian.org/programs/virtual-tales-travel-adventure
The Tunnel Tour: https://programminglibrarian.org/blog/tunnel-tour-heading-underground-learn-about-local-waterway
Local Parks & Recreation department
Local hiking clubs
1000 Hours Outside by
Join the global movement and challenge your family to match screen time with outdoor time--with hundreds of fun, fresh-air ideas. Did you know that the average American child spends 1,200 hours a year in front of a screen? And that outside play can boost children in every area of development? This book has everything you need to reset the balance and swap screen time for outdoor fun! Challenge your family to spend 1,000 hours outside this year with this collection of games, crafts, and activities, organized by season to help you find something you can do every day. Play leaf pile games, take a hot chocolate hike, make corn husk dolls, go on an animal home hunt, and much more with hundreds of ideas for all ages, abilities, and family types. No matter how busy you are, this book gives you all the ideas, photos, activity instructions, and inspiration you need to get outdoors with your family all year round.
Forest Bathing by
The definitive--and by far the most popular--guide to the therapeutic Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or the art and science of how trees can promote health and happiness Notice how a tree sways in the wind. Run your hands over its bark. Take in its citrusy scent. As a society we suffer from nature deficit disorder, but studies have shown that spending mindful, intentional time around trees--what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing--can promote health and happiness. In this beautiful book--featuring more than 100 color photographs from forests around the world, including the forest therapy trails that criss-cross Japan--Dr. Qing Li, the world's foremost expert in forest medicine, shows how forest bathing can reduce your stress levels and blood pressure, strengthen your immune and cardiovascular systems, boost your energy, mood, creativity, and concentration, and even help you lose weight and live longer. Once you've discovered the healing power of trees, you can lose yourself in the beauty of your surroundings, leave everyday stress behind, and reach a place of greater calm and wellness.
The Nature Fix by
For centuries, poets and philosophers extolled the benefits of a walk in the woods: Beethoven drew inspiration from rocks and trees; Wordsworth composed while walking over the heath; Nikola Tesla conceived the electric motor while visiting a park. From forest paths in Korea to islands in Finland to eucalyptus groves in California, Florence Williams investigates the science at the confluence of environment, mood, health and creativity. Delving into new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen our relationships. As our lives shift indoors, these ideas--and the answers they yield--are more urgent than ever.
Birding for the Curious by
This perfect gift for every nature lover features easy and accessible ways to explore the birds around us.This book isn't for a birder. It's for the huge audience of people who hike, maybe have bird feeders, and generally enjoy nature. With this book, the naturalist will discover an incredible and rewarding new adventure in the beautiful world of birds. The book is packed with easy and fun activities and information about birds, how to find them and their part in the nature around us. The information in this book will not only help you identify and learn more about birds, but you'll have a blast doing it. Nate Swick, member of the American Birding Association, has compiled chapters upon chapters of interesting, unique and informative birding knowledge, followed by activities that use the skills you learned. So not only will you learn things like what kind of birds you're looking at around the neighborhood, how to decipher different bird calls, and how to bring the birds to your backyard, but you'll complete fun activities like creating a list of the most popular birds in your area, creating a sound map of bird calls, and making a feeder for your backyard.