Have you noticed that most libraries across the U.S. have the same summer reading program theme? Each year the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) choses a theme, then develops artwork and programming suggestions that support the theme. This year's theme is "All Together Now." "All Together Now" makes me think of music, but this open-ended theme allows us to include community helpers and art into our programming as well as other fun topics like friendship. 

Living up to their name, the CSLP collaborated with Jenna Bush Hager as a celebrity partner this year. Hager hosts a book group with NBC's "Today Show." Hager talks about how reading to her children, or with them, encourages them to continue learning through the summer. 

"I’m so excited to be partnering with CSLP to promote summer reading! I come from a long line of book lovers (my mom was a librarian!). Summer nights, cuddled up with my mom or grandmothers and a book are some of my most precious memories. I can’t wait to encourage other kids to do the same– to dig into the pages of their first chapter book, get lost in a picture book or pick up their first earlier reader and let their imaginations take them away!

All Together Now is a beautiful testament to what I hope books can do for us all: connect and encourage acceptance of many different types of people.

I’m so happy that Read With Jenna Jr and CSLP are partnering for the summer to encourage kids to check out a book and start reading! I’m honored to be this year’s Reading Champion and promise to encourage library visits and beach reading, all summer long!

As we read All Together Now this summer, I know we can help shape strong, empathetic young readers!!"

Read With Jenna Jr's list includes several books we do not have at the library, but the following picture book recommendations are available through Gering Public Library:

"Very Good Hats" by Emma Straub, "BIG" by Vashti Harrison, "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein and "How to Write a Poem" by Kwame Alexander.

Jenna's middle grade book recommendations (available at Gering Library- items available online are marked with a *) are: 

"Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" by Judy Blume*, "Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea" by Dav Pilkey*, "Ways to Grow Love" by Renee Watson* (online only), "The Human Kaboom" by Adam Rubin, "Starfish" by Lisa Fipps*, and "School Trip" by Jerry Craft.

Jenna's young adult recommendations (available at Gering Public Library) are:

"The Summer I Turned Pretty" by Jenny Han*, and "Victory. Stand!" by Tommie Smith.

If you watch the Today Show, and are interested in Jenna's adult book club, you can find several titles from the past two years at the Gering Library, including:

"Camp Zero" by Michelle Min Sterling, "Black Cake" by Charmaine Wilkerson, "The School for Good Mothers" by Jessamin Chan, "The Lincoln Highway" by Amor Towles, "Malibu Rising" by Taylor Jenkins Reid, "The Turnout" by Megan Abbott, "Solito: a memoir" by Javier Zamora, "The Many Daughters of Afong Moy" by Jamie Ford, "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt, and "Bright Burning Things" by Lisa Harding. 

You can find most of these and several more titles from Read with Jenna on Libby by Overdrive. I hope to see you checking some of Jenna's books out this summer!