TEEN SUMMER READING RESOURCES
by Ann Hoey, Youth Services Coordinator
N.H. State Library

I had great plans to put together a teen summer reading manual that could be used by librarians in New Hampshire this summer. Unfortunately, the lack of funding and lack of time squashed these plans. What I can offer are some support and some resources that I gleaned from various sources. (Please note: All of the web addresses were current as of March 2004).

If you would like to have a "soup to nuts" manual to follow, then you can download one in .pdf format at the following web address: http://skyways.lib.ks.us/KSL/development/teensummerreading.pdf. This manual was developed by a committee of Kansas librarians for the 2002 "Laugh Out Loud" Summer Reading theme. If contains everything you need to put together a successful teen summer reading program including booklists, programming ideas, publicity tips and more. Even if you do not want to use the "Laugh Out Loud" theme, you will find much useful information in the manual. Please respect the copyright restrictions and credit statements when using the materials in the manual.

In addition, you can find summer reading programming ideas and advice at a couple of other state library websites. Although the programs relate to a particular theme, most of the material can be adapted for general teen summer reading programs. At the website of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, you will find many good programming ideas including art scavenger hunts, CD crafts, survivor games, and more. Go to this link for the "Read Across Texas" Young Adult program page:
http://castor.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/trc/2002/manual/ya/.

New York's page lists programming ideas related to a newspaper theme, but again, many of the programs can be tied to a different theme or to no theme at all. Visit the .pdf document at
http://www.summerreadingnys.org/planners/manual/chap-5.pdf. You can also access New York's 2003 Summer Reading "Picture This, Imagine That -- Read!" materials for teens at
http://www.summerreadingnys.org/2003/teens/indx.html. A pubic library site with more programming ideas for a teen SRP can be found at http://www.cplrmh.com/summer.html.

You can also find two publications at the state library that address the topic of teen summer reading programs: Sizzling Summer Reading Programs for Young Adults by Katharine Kan and The Youth Cyberian's Guide to Developing Instructional, Curriculum-related, Summer Reading, and Recreational Programs by Lisa Champelli. You may borrow these titles through interlibrary loan.

For those of you who want to try something different from offering prizes and other material incentives, you may wish to consider using your teen summer reading program as a vehicle for proving community service. You could have participants ask people to pledge money for books read, and then the teen summer reading program can donate the money to a community organization or effort like the elementary school playground fund. You could also join an already established reading/service program such as "Read for Feed," sponsored by Heiffer International. This program inspires kids to read more books for pleasure, while raising money, through sponsored reading, to help end world hunger and improve the environment. For more information on this project visit the following: http://www.readtofeed.org/.

And finally, if you attend the N.H. Libraries Conference at the Mount Washington Hotel in May, look for the summer reading suggestions put together by the Young Adult Librarians of New Hampshire (YALS). This group will have a table in the vendor hall with handouts offering their tried and true summer reading ideas for teens.

Please feel free to call on me at anytime with your teen summer reading questions. I can be reached at 271-2865 or ahoey@library.state.nh.us.

Happy Summer!