Copy of Summer Reading at New York Libraries

Documenting our personal history allows time for reflection, growth, helps us develop storytelling skills, and brings awareness to our experiences. As we prepare for the 2023 Summer Reading season with the theme of kindness, friendship and togetherness, we organized ideas and activities to help young people tell their personal story and explore things related to togetherness and community building topics. Do you have questions about these programs or activities or want to share a programming idea with us? Contact our Youth Services Program Manager at nyslyouth@nysed.gov. For more information about the NYS Library’s Personal History Initiative, contact Peter Nastasi.

The idea for a collaboration involving the NYS Library Personal History Initiative and Summer Reading initially came together in 2020 during a virtual meeting of State Library colleagues who were involved in the development and launch of the Personal History initiative.  Now as we prepare for the 2023 Summer Reading season with the theme of kindness, friendship and togetherness, we continue to recognize the strong connection between young people documenting their personal history during and after the pandemic as the world moves forward.  So we want to keep encouraging young adults to use these Summer Reading ideas and activities to tell their personal story and explore and learn about all things related to togetherness and community building topics. The July 1 2020 webinar slides and recording ​as well as some updated project examples are available on this page to give you some helpful ideas to support programming during this summer period when things are rapidly evolving.

Libraries all over New York State continue to work hard to adapt their Summer Reading and Summer Learning programs to a very different and challenging environment. Once again, they have come up with many creative solutions and programs and offerings to keep kids engaged this summer.  Do you have some awesome and creative personal history narrative ideas to share from your library?  Please send them to Marisa Gitto at Marisa.Gitto@nysed.gov or Sharon Phillips at nyslyouth@nysed.gov and we may include them on this page!

All Together Now

Summer Reading 2023

1. Community Walk-Work with your local library to promote a community walk with your neighborhood.  Use the theme of All Together Now to show unity and kindness. Connect with neighbors and discuss things that could promote collaboration in your neighborhood.  On your walk, create a list of items that need sprucing up like a little park garden, cleaning litter around the neighborhood or setting up a park event game day.

2. Poetry journal-Create a poetry journal on the special happenings of the summer.  Use the theme of All Together Now with the topics of kindness, unity, and friendship.  Express these topics within your poetry.

3. Thank you note--Write a thank you note of appreciation to your friend, neighbor, teacher, parent, or librarian.  Share why you value the person and how the person makes you smile. 

4. Postcards to Friends—Receiving an item in the mail is always fun.  Create a postcard to send to a friend you miss seeing during the summer.  You can draw, sketch, etc.  Let your friend know what are you doing during the summer.  Share what you are reading, and why it is a really good book or graphic novel.

5. Being Kind to the Earth—With a group of friends, parents and caregivers, go to a local park.  Ask a parent or caregiver to get permission from the park manager if your group can have a cleanup day or days during the summer to make the park look its very best.  Wear protective gloves, goggles, long-sleeves, and pants to take care of yourself during the clean-up.  Celebrate the beautification of the park and ask the park manager if you are able to plant flowers or a tree.

6. Picnic—What would you like to take with you if you are going on a picnic in your local area?  What would you do during the picnic?  What would you read?  What do you notice in nature around you when you are sitting on a blanket enjoying your food? Do you see your friends?  Do you see other family’s having picnics, too?  Are you writing in your journal creating special memories?  What would you like to share?  Create a journal entry during this special day with family, friends, or caregivers.

7.  Volunteering at an Animal Shelter/Humane Society--- With a parent or caregiver, visit an animal shelter/humane society. Have a parent or caregiver call ahead of time if you are able to visit.  Ask before going to visit the humane society if you are able to donate an item for the animals.  How does it feel when you donate time, or give a donation/gift to someone or an animal in need?  Share your experiences about the humane society with a family member, friend, teacher, librarian, etc.   Ask the person where they like to volunteer or donate time to something significant in their lives.  How does it make the person feel?  Share your thoughts and feelings about volunteering in an animal shelter or humane society in a journal. 

8. Recommended Booklist Paragraphs—Choose Summer Reading books which represent kindness, friendship, or unity.  Share why the books are important.  Write a paragraph to explain to other children why they should read the book.  Ask your local librarian if you can share the paragraphs in the youth services section of the library and display your recommended reading.

9. Exploring Kindness and Unity with Books—Find authors and illustrators that use the themes of kindness and unity within their books.  Create a booklist of the works by the authors and illustrators for friends.  Share the booklists with your local librarians, teachers, and friends.

10.  Call or Text a friend or Neighbor—Have you not spoken to a friend or a neighbor for a while?  Call or text a neighbor or a friend.  Share with the person what you are currently doing or which book you are reading this summer.  Maybe, make plans with the person to take a walk, go see a movie, or have a summer ice cream treat together.

11. Community Collaboration Calendar—At the library, create a summer reading group to research and find community happenings for young people.  Share ideas of what to promote and how to connect and continue the happenings for young people throughout the year.   

12. Appreciation Box—Create an appreciation box of positive happenings throughout the summer and the year.  Use a shoebox, empty oatmeal cannister, or something you find which you can decorate to display.  Place a little notepad or post-it-note tablet with a pen or pencil near the appreciation box.  Jot down the new friendships you have you made and the special outings you did this summer or year. You may wish to include the people important to you in your life and a special memory you have with the person.  Place in the box and read it at the end of the summer or year to enjoy and reflect on the significant memories made. 

13. Boardgame Share—Have a boardgame share with friends and family on a rotating schedule.  Share your selection with friends and family why this boardgame is important, fun, and how it develops unity.  Share the directions and ask if friends and family if they have questions on how to play the game.  At the end of the game, what did they learn and how does the boardgame promote togetherness.  When finished discussing the game, choose the next friend or family member to pick the boardgame for the next boardgame share.

14. Book Club—Create a summer book club with family and friends.  Choose books with the theme of friendship, togetherness, kindness, and unity.  When you finish reading the book, you can write a simple paragraph or poem, draw a favorite character or an idea based upon the book.  Share your creations with the book club and discuss. 

15. Vegetable and Flower Seed Share—With friends and family, ask the local community stores or garden centers to donate seeds, cups, pots, and soil and share with them how you are going to beautify your neighborhood this summer.  As a group, plant the seeds in the cups or pots.  Decorate the planter cups or pots.  Create a daily journal and track your observations on watering, light, and plant growth. Distribute the little plants to neighbors for planting in their community gardens, backyards or near windows in their homes.

 

Written by Marisa Gitto

Senior Reference Librarian, Reference Unit, New York State Library

Marisa.Gitto@nysed.gov