Read Forwards, Backwards or Upside down
The TD Summer Reading Club is the country’s biggest, bilingual summer program for kids of all ages, interests and abilities. To September 2, kids can join the Club in person at their local library or online and then track what they read to earn badges and stickers. It’s as easy as that.
The best part? Kids are encouraged to read what, where and how they like. Yes, that’s right! The possibilities are endless. For example, kids can read:
- Forwards, backwards or upside down
- From a pillow fort they’ve constructed
- To their pet or stuffies
- With a Shakespearean accent
- In a boat, with a goat, in the rain, on a train, in a tree…
Well, you get the idea. They can even listen to audiobooks!
Pre-readers are welcome to join the Club, too. Caregivers keep a log of the titles they are reading together. They’re also the secret ingredient for success. By adding silly voices, asking questions and looking closely at images, caregivers bring books to life. And here’s a pro tip: books don’t have to be read from start to finish. It’s a-okay to linger on a page in which your child shows interest.
There’s no judgement when you participate in the TD Summer Reading Club. Anything goes! The most important thing is to read often.
No matter what, where or how kids choose to read this summer, there are plenty of titles to try.
Will you read aloud in a silly voice?
Reading aloud can strengthen your child’s fluency. It can also bring out their silly or performative side, especially when classroom pressures are not at play.
Flowers are Pretty…Weird! by Rosemary Mosco and Jacob Souva is a hilarious, fact-filled choice to narrate.
It Fell From the Sky by Terry Fan and Eric Fan is ripe for vocal stylings.
Super Detectives! by Cale Atkinson is fun to read aloud with a friend or family member.
Will you read outside?
Switch up the environment by making reading an outdoor activity instead of a strictly inside pastime.
The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything: The Story of Maria Mitchell is a great choice to read under the canopy of stars, but we’re not sure you can read it by starlight alone!
The Bug Girl by Sophia Spencer, Margaret McNamara and Kerascoë is based on a true story, which celebrates women in STEM — and creepy critters.
The Secret Signs of Nature: How to Uncover Hidden Clues in the Sky, Water, Plants, Animals and Weather by Craig Caudill and Carrie Shryock will have you discovering a plethora of natural phenomenon in no time.
Want more of the great outdoors? Join a StoryWalk this summer, featuring Treasure by Mireille Messier. Each story panel is available in both English and French and links to an accessible audio version via QR code. StoryWalks are quite possibly one of our favourite ways to read in the great outdoors.
Will you listen to audiobooks?
Audiobooks are a perfect format for reading together as a family. Kids as well as their caregivers will enjoy the titles below. Audiobooks build listening skills and focus, and they're often the preferred choice of kids who dislike reading or have a learning disability. Finally, audiobooks are great for long summer road trips!
Forever Birchwood by Danielle Daniel will transport you to a treehouse hideaway.
Sneaks by Catherine Egan will have you imagining interdimensional mischief makers.
The Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn and Isabelle Follath imagines the life of a young Agatha Christie who solves mysteries alongside her cunning friend Hector.
How else can you read this summer?
- Check out this year’s TD Summer Reading Club recommended reads
- Participate in the Battle of the Books by voting for your favourite titles
- Laugh at jokes submitted by other Club participants and post your own
- Read a web comic about a squad of squirrels and add a comment
- Try formats like Read-Alongs (books that talk)
Have a great summer, and remember to read your own way.
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