Beyond Books: Adventure Begins at Your Library chosen as summer reading theme
What makes something an adventure? Does it have to happen far away? Is it always new and big and exciting? Or can you find adventure closer to home, on an ordinary day, surrounded by familiar people and things? Our Bookworm Summer Reading theme this year is Adventure Begins at Your Library, and we’re here to help you find adventure this summer.
There are lots of ways to start your adventure at the library. First, of course, is through your imagination. I’ll never forget the summer when my mom read "The Hobbit" to me. We would read every afternoon while my little brother napped. For those hours, Middle Earth felt like a real place we got to explore through J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories. I was sad when we finished the story, but we quickly moved on to other books, each one a new adventure. If you’re looking for some summer reading suggestions, check out CRCPL.org/bookworm for recommendation lists!
You can also use library books and resources to plan a real-life adventure. If you like trying new foods, you can check out a cookbook with new recipes. You can read a travel book to plan a trip or learn about a new place. Learning something new can be an adventure, and we have tons of books to help you learn new things. My dad and Grandpap built a canoe in their living room many years ago, using plans from a library book. Maybe if they’d had Creativebug (which you can find in the DIY section of our eLibrary), they would have thought to make sure the canoe would fit through the door before finishing it!
If you want to learn something new but don’t have the equipment, start at the library! We don’t have any canoes in our Beyond Books collection, but we do have an inflatable paddle board! We also have disc golf sets, bicycles, fishing poles, telescopes, a metal detector, several musical instruments, and more. Visit CRCPL.org/beyondbooks to explore all the items we have that are more than just books.
This summer’s Bookworm Challenges also include fun ways for you to find adventure in the ordinary. Complete activities from our BINGO card as you explore the world around you. Visit CRCPL.org/bookworm for a list of virtual tours from around the world so you can explore from anywhere!
The Bookworm details:
Who? Everyone can participate in Bookworm!
What? Bookworm is our Summer Reading Challenge. You can earn prizes for reading and completing activities.
When? You can pre-register now, but Bookworm 2024 starts Monday, June 3, and ends Wednesday, July 24 at noon.
Where? Wherever you are! (though prizes must be picked up at one of our library locations)
Why? Because it’s fun! Because if you’re reading anyway, you might as well get prizes! Because last summer, Ross County logged 1,822,625 minutes of reading, and we want to see if we can beat that number!
How? Register online at CRCPL.org/bookworm. You can track your reading and activities in your Beanstack account, or bring your paper tracker to the library for us to enter them.
Important dates:Kickoff party: Wednesday, June 5 at 5 p.m. at Northside Branch.** New this year! Adult kickoff party: Friday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Main LibraryFinale party: Wednesday, July 24 at 6 p.m. in Yoctangee Park, followed by a free pool party in the Municipal Pool at 7:30 p.m.
Enrichment Services Manager Liz Gibbons-Camp loves to spend summer days reading and attending local events around the county. If she’s outside, you’ll probably find her chasing the shade. You can reach her at egibbonscamp@crcpl.org
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Beyond Books: Adventure Begins at Your Library