New York had a long winter and spring had an unshakeable chill. Now that school is out and summer is here, it feels good. We are ready for a season of activity and adventure. There are trips to be taken, beaches to visit, and friends to see. Yet, in the midst of the summertime commotion, it’s easy for children to slide out of the habit of reading and forget some of what they learned over the last school year. In order to avoid this slippery slope the Children’s Library has put together a list of pointers to keep summer fun, as well as literary.

• Read aloud as a family! Reading aloud is recognized as the single most important activity for reading success. Even a child who knows how to read can benefit from listening to a story. Children can listen on a higher language level than they can read and reading aloud helps make new language and complex ideas more accessible.
   
• Audiobooks are beneficial in many of the same ways! Listening to an audiobook on the go can teach critical listening, introduce new genres, and provide an excellent read-aloud model.
   
• Let children choose their reading material; it is summer after all. Even if these choices include re-reading a favorite simple story or paging through a giant non-fiction book in search of photos about a particularly fascinating subject, these explorations are continually beneficial. This interest and love for books of all kinds is what creates a lifetime reader. After all, who doesn’t enjoy an occasional summertime beach read?
   
• Speaking of beach books, read outside at the beach or park! Destination reading can feel adventurous and new. If packing up heavy books sounds like a chore, travel light with an e-reader loaded with books from our cloud library.
   
• Explore new subjects and formats! Check out some non-fiction books about summertime activities or other fascinating subjects (Bubble gum? An Encyclopedia of all things spooky? Greek myths? The world beneath the earth's crust? How machines work? Pirates?). Experiment with visual literacy by picking up a graphic novel.

• Check out a kid-friendly magazine! Magazines are a great option for piquing reading interest. The Children’s Library holds a number of subscriptions, stop by and browse.
   
• The Summer Slide is not just for kids! Hit a wall in your reading? Check out our list of recommended Summer Reads for adults and teens!

The New York Society Library is open 7 days a week for all your summer reading needs. Want help choosing the perfect book? Take a look at our recommended reading lists or speak with one of our children’s librarians.