Every parent has the same story to tell. My child doesn’t like to read therefore he doesn’t read. That was true for my son, Will. We read together and he enjoyed that, but he didn’t read on his own. Nothing inspired him to do it. That is until my brother gave him Dav Pilkey’s book Captain Underpants. I’m not sure how my brother found it or what inspired him to buy it, but I’m glad he did because it struck a chord for Will. It was the proverbial spark that made Will an avid reader. He devoured Captain Underpants. We bought all the books at the time and we even braved 495 to attend a book signing at Tysons.

Captain Underpants led to Lunch Lady and then Diary of a Wimpy Kid. That lead to nonfiction and then to the mother (or should I say father) of all fantasy writers: J.R.R. Tolkien. He branched out to find the genres that really interested him. After many trips to the library and Hooray for Books! he landed on fantasy and science fiction in the end. With a bit of video game history and Norse mythology thrown in for good measure.

People are complicated and their interests are varied. It takes trial and error and time to find what really resonates. Librarians and your neighborhood bookstores are the best resources for taste-testing books and summer break is a great time to experiment.

Summer reading is an experience like none other. Lazing around with no care in the world reading a book is pure joy — for adults and for kids. To make summer reading more fun, we suggest picking up a summer reading challenge from your local library or perhaps the one we created at Pippin Toy Co.

Designed to make reading fun and not a chore, our summer challenge doesn’t prompt kids to read a certain number of hours, or types or number of books. Instead, the prompts make reading an experience and ask kids to journal that experience in a creative way. For instance, one prompt encourages kids to read with a silly outfit on, then share what they read and draw a picture of their outfit. How much fun is that?! We’re providing the prompts, a journal and tools with which to create. Imagination is key to reading and we want to continue to foster that, so pick up your kit at the store any time. No purchase necessary.

If you need books, then of course we have them at Pippin Toy Co., too. As do our favorite local bookstores: Hooray for Books!, Old Town Books, and The Company of Books. But, if you want a true experience, we encourage you to visit the library. Hands-down libraries are one of the best community and parenting resources ever designed. 

Alexandria Public Library’s SummerQuest is epic. They have designed an entire summer of activities ready to engage your children ages pre-k through 12th grade. Check it out to make summer planning easy. And, now there are no late fees for books. You can get the books back as soon as you can instead of stressing over a due date. That means you won’t have to shame yourself the same way I did when we were late. Which was always.  

Summer 2024 is upon us and we’re ready for it. Here’s to a shame-free, creative, and reading-infused summer for all!

And thank you to everyone who joined us for our last day of school party at Pippin Toy Co. with dazzle dry manicures by our neighbor, Nothing in Between. We had a blast and loved celebrating with your kiddos!

See Also:  Pippin Toy Co: A Toy Store Journey in Old Town, Part One