by Jean B. and Emily B., Central Branch

Choose your own adventures as you read, explore, and experiment this summer.
Visit hclibrary.org/summer for more details on Summer Reading Adventures for all ages.

GET STARTED
For all ages! Find the summer reading adventure that’s right for you and your family. Separate game boards available for ages 0 – 5, 6 – 10, teens, and adults.

READ & DO ACTIVITIES
Each time you read or do an activity, you complete a step toward finishing the game. Reading includes print books, e-books, audiobooks, magazines — whatever you like!
Find additional activities, book lists, classes, events, and more at hclibrary.org/summer.

WIN A PRIZE
When you complete your adventures (reading and activities), complete a finisher’s form available at any HCLS location or online. Pick up a prize (while supplies last) in person August 1 – 31.

Reading is always an adventure, right? A good book can make you an explorer of a different place, time, perspective, or personality. And you know where to find all kinds of books and knowledgeable “tour guides:” our six library branches. But the 2023 Summer Reading Adventure will take you beyond books and beyond buildings with exciting experiences for children and families. Besides reading together, you can build foundations for literacy and support the skills of young readers with a wide range of activities — whether you’re outside observing nature or inside creating and experimenting. We’re here to feed your adventurous spirit!

If you go to Savage Branch, you can explore the outdoor Storywalk, soaking up the beautiful words and images of Eve Bunting’s Flower Garden and Eric Carle’s Where is the Sun? as you stroll. Nature adventures happen weekly at Central Branch, weather permitting, with Wednesday morning classes on the patio — maybe you’ll observe an itsy-bitsy spider when you sing its song!

Wander through the Enchanted Garden at Miller Branch to find the two new resident foxes and learn their names, while observing the different kinds of flowers, herbs, and vegetables that are growing.

To add sports and engineering into your adventure, help create a giant miniature golf course at Glenwood Branch. You can learn all about the Cardboard Challenge at an information session on June 28, get a starter kit of supplies, and then put your engineering and creative talents to the test as you build your one-of-a-kind mini-golf hole at home. Everyone brings their creations back to the library in July, then plays a community golf game for the record books.

If you’re looking for an adventure in art, head to East Columbia Branch on Wednesday evenings where 6-9 year olds and their adults can learn about great artists from Kahlo to Kandinsky, then create masterpieces. Makers of all ages find fun at Elkridge Branch, where families can work their way through STEM exploration stations, preschoolers can participate in weekly STEAM activities, and teens can create a stop motion movie with LEGO™ blocks. And when the adventure winds down in August, stay tuned for the STEAM Carnival at Miller Branch – an opportunity to share your experiences, projects, and inspiration.
Come to your libraries – adventure awaits!

For Teens:

Join the Quest! Earn treasure as you travel through books, stream music or movies, and have fun with experiments and games. Your local library contains everything you need to succeed. Stop by any branch to receive a gameboard and a Tshirt (while supplies last)! Visit online and in person with your ideas, questions, and enthusiasm.

For Adults:

If you thought that all the Summer Reading fun at the library was just for kids, think again! Visit any library branch to pick up a Reading Journal and participate in our adult Reading Challenge. Each journal contains 13 challenge prompts, intended to guide you through a year of reading.

Not sure what book to read for a certain prompt? A list of suggested titles chosen by our staff is provided for each theme. These challenges offer an opportunity to read outside of your comfort zone, discover new authors, and explore different genres.

To complete your Summer Reading Adventure, finish any three challenges or read three books of your choosing. Between August 1 – 31, visit any HCLS branch to complete a finisher’s card. Finishers are then entered into our end-of-summer prize drawings and receive a limited-edition prize while supplies last.

Kick off your summer reading journey with the online Adult Summer Reading Showcase on Tuesday, June 6 at 7 pm. Join our instructors online as we share our top picks for summer reads. With genre-spanning recommendations, from thrillers to nonfiction and everything in between, you’re bound to learn about some new books and authors of interest. You may find a few titles to add to your TBR (to-be-read) list!

Jean B. is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at the Central Branch who loves reading books for all ages when she isn’t enjoying the outdoors.

Emily is an Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch. She enjoys puzzling, reading, listening to music, and re-watching old seasons of Survivor.