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All Book Up for Summer (Reading)!
It was a record breaking year for Book Up Summer! Serving 23,638 students in 129 elementary schools here in Washington state, Book Up Summer distributed 299,032 books this year—the most ever since its inception in 2012.
We could not have done this without the support from all of our volunteers: 207 volunteers gave 664 hours of their time to help ensure that every child has the chance to read this summer. Thank you, volunteers, for all that you do to champion literacy for EVERY child.
Book Up Summer helps prevent the “summer slide.” Summer slide refers to the phenomenon where during their summer vacation, students lose some of the skills they learned and worked on throughout the school year. When students go home with 12 brand new books that they have self-selected, they are able to practice and work on reading in a way that is exciting and enjoyable to them. This ensures they start the next school year ready to learn and build on their current skills!
Summer Story Times
Happy summer vacation! This year we are once again serving young readers with outdoor story times in the Ballard and High Point neighborhoods.
If you have a young reader in your life, we would love for you to join us at the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Gardens at the Ballard Locks for a summer story time session!
This year, we’ve doubled the number of story time sessions. Page Ahead readers will be at the Ballard Locks every Tuesday and Thursday from 11am – 12pm until the end of August.
We hope to see you there!
Thank you NACUA!
The National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) held its annual conference in Seattle this year and chose Page Ahead as one of the local charitable beneficiaries of the event. Conference attendees were invited to participate in a book drive by purchasing a book to donate at the Page Ahead pop-up shop or bringing one to the conference with them. The book drive was a resounding success, bringing in 411 books for students here in Washington!
Thank you so much to the NACUA attendees for championing literacy for all kids.
Local Business Partner: Old Stove Brewing Co.
On Tuesday, July 8th, please join us at Old Stove Gardens in Ballard as part of their Giving in the Gardens promotion! Page Ahead will have a table there and $1 from every pint sold will be donated to us.
Bring a friend or a good book and join us on their outside patio for a fun evening. See you there!
Summer reading resources for you
Summer reading isn’t just fun for kids, it’s fun for the whole family. Here are some resources for all ages to get you started. Happy reading!
Summer Reading Challenges:
Adult Book Bingo (King County)
Teen Book Bingo & Kids Book Bingo (Seattle)
Summer Reading Program (Yakima Valley all ages)
Summer Reading Club (Spokane all ages)
Kids Summer Reading Challenge (Sno-Isle)
Summer of Stories (Pierce County all ages)
Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program
BookIt x Pizza Hut: Free Personal Pan Pizza
Half Price Books Summer Reading Camp
Literacy Events:
Seattle Arts and Lectures has author events year-round
University of Washington iSchool Read-Alongs (virtual)
Check out your local library branch for events
Check out your local independent bookstore to see if they have author events and/or story times scheduled for the summer
What we’re reading…
Annabel Wrightsman has been a volunteer with Page Ahead for the last 2 years. She helps with a variety of projects, from sending books to our school partners to supporting special events. A lover of children’s books, Annabel has worked on writing her own stories and will be starting at the University of Washington’s iSchool in the fall to pursue her MLIS. Here’s what she has to say about a book she’s recently finished:
“I recently read Kristiana Kahakauwila’s middle grade novel Clairboyance, which is a 2025 Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) Children’s Honor Book.
It’s a beautiful story about a Hawaiian girl named Clara, who loves to draw, whittle, and help her grandmother tend to the taro patches of their home on Oahu’s North Shore. But Clara does not love how awkward 6th grade has become, which makes her want to move away to live with her dad in Arizona.
When Clara accidentally gains an ancestral power that allows her to hear what boys are thinking, she thinks she can more quickly make her getaway dream a reality. But things get way more awkward, before, eventually, Clara learns to listen to her heart, make new friends, regain old ones, and deepen her knowledge of her heritage.
Having grown up in Hawaii, I particularly appreciate Kahakauwila’s deft use of languages (including Hawaiian and the English-based creole language known as Hawaiian Pidgin), and her sensitive depiction of a child navigating long-distance relationships. And as someone who now lives in Seattle, I love that one of Clara’s new friends is from here.”
