Sustainable summer reading

In the heat of summer one of the best ways to relax is sitting next to a fan with a glass of iced tea and a good book. It is also the time of year when young students are working on their summer reading and competing to see who can read the most. Let’s take the time this year to make sure our reading habits are good for our mind and good for the planet.

When you finish your books they need somewhere to go and, if you are an avid reader, you may not have room on your shelves. Donating gently-used and popular books to libraries or charities is one of the most effective ways to give them a second life.

Book swaps are another fantastic way for books to get a second life and can bring you closer to others while you share your reads. You can organize a swap with friends, family or local community groups. All you need is a space for everyone to gather and an area where the books can be displayed. To make sure everyone leaves with something, have people choose their one book in rounds. To make the evening even more fun you can serve light refreshments that everyone can snack on while they browse.

When books are too worn to donate, consider recycling them. Paper and hardcover books are recyclable here and can be placed in the paper recycling. Magazines can also be tossed in with the regular paper recycling.

If you’re feeling creative, upcycling projects can give old books a new purpose. Turn them into decorative items, such as wreaths, or practical objects like bookmarks and gift tags. Magazines, with their colorful pages, are perfect for collage art or scrapbooking.

You can cut down on how many books you have to deal with by trying out ebooks. These can be read on your phone, tablet or an e-reader. The Dalton-Whitfield County Public Library has an extensive digital collection that you can access from home, and you can purchase books online that you can access digitally forever.

Having children engage in summer reading is helpful to support their success. The “summer slide” is a well-known event that happens for students when they lose some of the knowledge and skills gained during the school year over summer vacation. Having kids participate in summer reading is a great way to help keep them from the summer slide.

The Dalton-Whitfield County Public Library offers summer reading designed to keep kids and adults engaged and learning. This year’s theme is “Adventure Begins at Your Library” and there are programs for children, teens and adults throughout the summer. Encouraging children to participate in these activities helps maintain their academic progress and fosters a lifelong love of reading.

I’ve gotten familiar with a few books that are engaging for kids, but also help teach about the environment. For younger grade-school kids, I recommend “Michael Recycle” by Ellie Bethel and illustrated by Alexandra Columbo. In this book, the superhero Michael Recycle visits a wasteful town and teaches them things they can do to help live in a more beautiful place.

For older grade-school kids, read “One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia” by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. This is a true story about how a young woman in Gambia finds a way to reuse the plastic bags that litter her village.

For preschoolers, try “Look Out for Litter” by Lisa Bullard and illustrated by Xiao Xin. This is a fun book about a pirate girl searching for litter and is a great way to have a conversation about how litter harms us.

Engaging in sustainable reading practices not only helps the environment but also deepens your understanding of ecological issues. This summer, take the opportunity to enjoy a good book while contributing to a greener planet.