Summer Reading Program 2022: Oceans of Possibilities

Library-goers across the country this summer will see this slogan being used for their library’s reading program: Oceans of Possibilities. Children’s sections will be decorated with ocean-themed bulletin boards with jellyfish, sharks and mer-people on them. There will be nautical themed décor, flyers will advertise programs where kids will learn to talk like a pirate, and about the megalodon, the largest shark to ever swim in Earth’s waters. On the surface, this theme reminds us that there is an ocean of possibilities when it comes to what you can learn about from reading. But if you look a little deeper, just below the surface, this is truly the summer reading theme we’ve all been needing.

According to NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration), up to 80% of the ocean is yet to be explored. Just think about how many possibilities there really are out there in the deep waters where no person has been before! The deepest part of the ocean, called the Challenger Deep, located beneath the Western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, reaches a depth of 35,856 ft. It seems nothing short of a miracle that even down in the Challenger Deep, there are single celled organisms sustaining life. I feel that the unexplored depths of the ocean are the perfect metaphor to the summer of reading before us.

The past two years have brought with them many seasons of limitations. Regardless of how we all managed to deal with the challenges that the global pandemic brought, I think we can all agree that things today look a lot different than they did last year or two years ago. I find the theme of this year’s Summer Reading Program to be inspiring. Summer Reading is a time that a lot of people look forward to, regardless of their age. This year’s theme encourages us to fully explore the possibilities that lay before us. This is the summer to break out from the busy routines of the school year and feed our curiosity. It’s time to tackle that ever growing TBR (to be read) pile. Meet some people who share common interests by attending a library program. Explore the parts of ourselves that we haven’t yet shone a light on, through reading, learning, and sharing with others.

With a feeling of hope in my librarian heart, as my coworkers and I are busily preparing for the Summer Reading Program, I’ve been asking myself these questions: How can we get the most out of our summer reading, regardless of our age? How can we embrace the idea of possibility when the news that greets us each morning seems so decidedly unchangeable? How can we inspire the children that will be visiting the library this summer to continue to be curious and to learn about their world? I ask the same to you, Reader.

Summer Reading is a time to expand our horizons and explore the world through books. Whether or not we have a vacation planned for the summer, it is a time to read for ourselves. It’s a time to listen deeply to what it is that our psyche really needs. For some, it will be an escape into a fantasy world where good battles evil - and there are some great YA books for these readers. I recommend Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake, Legend series by Marie Lu, or Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. For others, it may be delving into a far future world where the problems we face now on a day-to-day basis are ancient history. For these readers, pick up Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, or the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. Some readers will find comfort in reading a “feel-good” book such as Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli, XOXO by Axie Oh, or I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski.

For some children, this will be the summer they start reading chapter books, and for the first time, feel the magic of getting lost in a good book. They will discover a series they love, whether it be the Dogman series by Dav Pilkey, Geronimo Stilton or Theo Stilton by G. Stilton, or the Spy School series by Stuart Gibbs, and they will return to the library again and again to read every book.

Parents of very young children will witness their toddlers “pretending” to read their library books while turning pages and sing-songing their way through. Make no mistake, this is reading and this is how it all begins. For the youngest readers, I recommend Duck & Goose by Tad Hills, Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang, or for a fun “read out loud” book to share together, The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone.

Whether you read one book this summer or 20, I hope that you embrace the theme of Oceans of Possibilities. Read books that challenge you. Read books that stretch your understanding of the world around you. Read books you’ve been meaning to read for a long time, or read a new book by an author you’ve never heard of before. Read the books that make you happy, and the books that make you feel the things you need to feel. Summer Reading is your time to enjoy the oceans of possibilities that lay ahead for you.

Here are the books that were mentioned in this post. For more suggestions, visit your local branch and ask us!

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born--three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to control storms or flames with the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, able to ingest the deadliest poisons without harm. And Arsinoe, a naturalist, can control nature. But becoming the Queen Crowned isn't solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it's not just a game of win or lose ... it's life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown. -- From dust jacket.

Legend series by Marie Lu

In a dark future, when North America has split into two warring nations, fifteen-year-olds Day, a famous criminal, and prodigy June, the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Seventeen-year-old Karou, a lovely, enigmatic art student in a Prague boarding school, carries a sketchbook of hideous, frightening monsters--the chimaerae who form the only family she has ever known.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

"Ready Player One takes place in the not-so-distant future--the world has turned into a very bleak place, but luckily there is OASIS, a virtual reality world that is a vast online utopia. People can plug into OASIS to play, go to school, earn money, and even meet other people (or at least they can meet their avatars), and for protagonist Wade Watts it certainly beats passing the time in his grim, poverty-stricken real life. Along with millions of other world-wide citizens, Wade dreams of finding three keys left behind by James Halliday, the now-deceased creator of OASIS and the richest man to have ever lived. The keys are rumored to be hidden inside OASIS, and whoever finds them will inherit Halliday's fortune. But Halliday has not made it easy. And there are real dangers in this virtual world. Stuffed to the gills with action, puzzles, nerdy romance, and 80s nostalgia, this high energy cyber-quest will make geeks everywhere feel like they were separated at birth from author Ernest Cline."--Chris Schluep, Amazon Best Book of the Month

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition putting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.

Divergent - Book 1 of the Divergent series by Veronica Roth

In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life. The decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

With prom and graduation around the corner, senior Leah Burke struggles when her group of friends start fighting.

XOXO by Axie Oh

"Jenny never had much time for boys, K-pop, or really anything besides her dream of being a professional cellist. But when she finds herself falling for a K-pop idol, she has to decide whether their love is worth the risk"-- Provided by publisher.

I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski

Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. She's spending the next four and a half weeks traveling through Europe with her childhood best friend Leela. Their plans include Eiffel Tower selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with hot strangers. Her plans do not include Leela's cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriend's hot friend, monitoring her mother's spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug of war.

Dogman series by Dav Pilkey

George and Harold create a new comic book hero in Dog Man, a crimefighter with the head of a police dog and the body of a policeman, who faces off against his archnemesis Petey the cat.

Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by G. Stilton

When Geronimo's sister, Thea, discovers an old, mysterious map showing a secret treasure hidden on a faraway island, the gang of the "Rodent's gazette" is dragged into a treasure hunt.

Spy School series by Stuart Gibbs

Twelve-year-old Ben Ripley leaves his public middle school to attend the CIA's highly secretive Espionage Academy, which everyone is told is an elite science school.

Duck & Goose by Tad Hills

Duck and Goose learn to work together to take care of a ball, which they think is an egg.

Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang

Jim Panzee wakes up in a bad mood one beautiful day, but he keeps denying he is grumpy even as his friends give advice for feeling better.

The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone

The Monster at the End of This Book: Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover is a children's picture book based on the television series Sesame Street and starring Grover.

- by Caitlin Decker, West Windsor Branch