Our summer reading theme for Summer 2023 is “All Together Now”. For the next eight weeks, we will be exploring themes of TOGETHERness, in an acrostic using the word “together”.
This week’s theme is Outdoors, a perfect theme now that warm, summer weather is here to stay. There are plenty of resources and programs at the Yonkers Public Library to help get you and your family outside this week.
There are lots of different ways to get yourself outside more often. Consider going on a picnic at a local park in your neighborhood, take a walk at the Lenoir Preserve with Yonkers NNORC, or enjoy reading outside with some of these recommendations for great outdoorsy reads from the Yonkers Public Library.
There’s plenty to do in and around Yonkers this summer. Check out many of these free concerts and festivals going on in Yonkers this summer, or these other music festivals across Westchester county. If you’re looking to get out on the water, check out the Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club. The club offers a yearly membership for paddlers of all experience levels.
If you’re looking to give back to your community and the environment, check out Groundwork Hudson Valley, which works to create sustainable environmental change in urban neighborhoods through equitable community-based partnerships with a focus on youth leadership and economic opportunity. Check out their Science Barge on the Hudson River which is free to the public on weekends!
This week is also a great opportunity to take advantage of our wonderful Library of Things. Check out items like a bird watching backpack, a telescope kit, or lawn games!
The telescopes are available at Will, Riverfront and Crestwood, the lawn games are available at Will, and bird backpacks are available at Crestwood, Will and Riverfront. You can always call ahead to the circulation desk to see if a kit is available on the day you plan to check it out.
And be sure to check out our Seed Library Bingo card. Complete a variety of activities from bird watching to visiting your local farmer’s market, then turn in your completed card to any YPL branch and win a prize!
If prizes sound great, don’t forget to register for Summer Reading! Foster a love of reading and help prepare young readers for school in the fall with our recommended book lists. For every book you log until August 15th, your name will be entered into a drawing for a reader basket. Each library branch will host its own drawings for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, Children, Teens and Adults. Also worthy of note is that children get small prizes as they read books during the program. Register yourself and your family on Beanstack.
This is a collaboration from A to Z!
Alison Robles is a part-time page at the Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction and fantasy. A Yonkers native, she graduated from Iona University in 2020 with a dual-degree in Marketing and Public Relations. She is pursuing a Masters in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo.
Z is the Branch Manager at the Crestwood Library. She has been with YPL for over a decade.