Summer Reading Renaissance: An Interactive Exhibits Approach

Energize your library summer reading program with this new approach that involves all ages, and rekindles the desire for children and families to read together for recreation, pleasure, and their own curiosity. No more counting hours or books, no rewards and awards—just reading and learning fun! Drawing on the methodology of museums and learning centers, Soltan offers practical guidelines for designing an interactive, centers-based program; and presents four complete themed units that include complete directions for sample projects, materials lists, and suggested books. She also shows you how to build interest, secure funding, work with vendors, and use technology; as well as how to train staff, create a coordinated, intergenerational, volunteer and school-based community service effort; and how to evaluate your program. This is a creative, hands-on approach that will get readers involved and keep them involved summer after summer, and all summer long.

Energize your library summer reading program with this new approach that involves all ages, and rekindles the desire for children and families to read together for recreation, pleasure, and their own curiosity. No more counting hours or books, no rewards and awards—just reading and learning fun! Drawing on the methodology of museums and learning centers, Soltan offers practical guidelines for designing an interactive, centers-based program; and presents four complete themed units that include complete directions for sample projects, materials lists, and suggested books. She also shows you how to build interest, secure funding, work with vendors, and use technology; as well as how to train staff, create a coordinated, intergenerational, volunteer and school-based community service effort; and how to evaluate your program. This is a creative, hands-on approach that will get readers involved and keep them involved summer after summer, and all summer long.

VOYA

Soltan proposes using a museum-like exhibit model for the structure of a summer reading program to revive summer reading and make visits to the library for youth and their families more focused on learning. The book is divided into two parts with the first section detailing information about philosophy, procedure, and evaluation of such an approach to summer reading. Part two provides three sample summer theme-based programs replete with handouts, activities, and supply lists including books and electronic resources. An additional chapter provides an overview with skeletal outlines of several other possible themes. The book is aimed at public librarians who work with youth through eighth grade; however, many of the resources and readings suggested seemed to be directed at preschool and elementary school children rather than middle school aged students. Teens and tweens are referred to in the book as possible boosters or program volunteers with little emphasis on them as participants. Adaptation of the packaged learning exhibits would have to be done to make them useful to a program for tweens and teens. Having the reproducible material on a CD-ROM or in a Web supplement would be helpful. With some effort, this book might prove a helpful resource for those responsible for planning summer reading programs and looking for a more interactive hands-on approach tied to a summer-long reading and learning theme. Reviewer: Erin Wyatt

RITA SOLTAN, an independent Library Youth Services Consultant, worked as a public children's librarian for 32 years in New York and Michigan; and she supervised youth services departments for 15 years. She is author of Reading Raps: A Book Club Guide for Librarians, Kids and Families (Libraries Unlimited, 2005) and she reviews children's books for Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal.