Library Gone Wild! Summer Reading Program

This past summer I ran a 6-week summer reading program. Each day included books, poems, crafts and games. Ages 3 up to 10 attended the program.
 
I thought I would share the books I picked and why. Overall each book was picked because it was easy and fun to read, related to the program theme and lend itself to fun activities and games.

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers was the biggest hit among the kids. The kids couldn't stop laughing at the ridiculousness of all the things thrown up the tree to dislodge the main characters kite.

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Wild Thing - Day 1
Books: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. // Monstore by Tara Lazar, Illustrated by James Burks
Poem: We Want to Be Wild by Tiffany Stone

Where the Wild Things Are has a a fabulous spread depicting the wild rumpus. This part I got the kids to follow me around the library acting the part out.

Monstore is full of beautiful and lyrical language. Plus I made monster gliders with the kids so I wanted them to see a variety of monsters for inspiration for their gliders.


Off Beat Fairy Tales - Day 2
Books: Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray, Illustrated by Mike Lowery.
This book had a repetitive refrain that kids could chant along. Plus I wanted to do a gingerbread man hunt around the library. This turned out to be the partipants favorite activities (even pulled in a couple of tweens hanging around the library at the time).

Goldierocks and the Three Bears by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Beth Coulton, Illustrated by Nate Wragg.
I didn't get a chance to read this one to the kids as we ran out of time. But I chose this book because its perfect rhyme is easy to read and a fun take on a well-known fairy tale.

Anything Goes - Day 3
Book: Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

The kids laughed and laughed and laughed. They had a blast trying to guess the next thing that would be thrown up the tree. Afterwards we even tried throwing paper airplanes into a tree outside (surprisingly really hard to do!). Plus made kites (luckily none of the kites got stuck!)

Couch Potato - Day 4
Book: I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black, Illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi.
My husband loves this book. I have to admit saying bored in a range of different voices is rather fun and the kids had a blast yelling out bored on each page. The fun was carried over with playing hot potato and making potato head craft.

Monkeying Around - Day 5
Me Jane by Patrick McDonnell

I really wanted at least one non-fiction picture book. Patrick McDonnell happens to be one of my favorite authors and this book about Jane Goodall did not disappoint! Simple and lyrical language made this easy to read. After we played a game trying to guess all the items Ms. Goodall would have needed for her trip, we went on monkey safari around the library.

Wacky Tea Party - Day 6
Tea Party Rules by Ame Dyckman, Illustrated by K.G. Campbell.

The surprise ending really caught the kids attention (don't want to spoil the book so can't elaborate). But I just liked that this book was gender neutral and led to us having a fantastic tea party.

Thanks for stopping by I'll be running a fall reading program and plan to video blog after each session. Please stay tuned for that (coming in October).

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