The Summer Reading Program is a way to unplug and reconnect with our imaginations. According to Tina Ann Forkner, a former Laramie County Library Foundation President and current volunteer, she and her daughter still sign up to participate in the program, and often times they will read the books together and share in the experience.
She talked specifically about her love of the book “The Outsiders” and the quote, “Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren’t so different. We saw the same sunset.”
Books can bring us together and have something in common with one another. They teach us lessons, provide us perspective, and educate us. The Outsider book is all about a boy who is learning right from wrong in a society where he doesn’t feel like he fits in. Even the storyline is something that can resonate with so many and the fact that the author could capture this and translate it into an enticing book is something worth celebrating. Summer reading is an opportunity to expand our knowledge and we can use the Summer Reading Program as a way to build relationships and create shared interests with others.
Additionally, Tina is an author, and she finds reading vital to her ability to write as well. She expressed how this line from “The Outsiders” has stuck with her long after reading the book and this has now been a motivation for her when writing. Reading can help us learn more about ourselves, our abilities, and introduce us to worlds we could not have imagined on our own. There are so many amazing reasons to read and the Summer Reading Program is a wonderful way to do it. To learn more about the program reach out to the Laramie County Library System and we hope that you and your whole family will sign up. Be sure to watch for changes to this year’s Summer Reading Challenge due to the COVID-19 situaton.