The Colors of Summer

Vacations, beaches, sunshine, sprinklers, barbecues, and books – these are just a few of the joys of summer. Another joy of summer is Wickson’s Summer Reading program, which kicks off on May 31st, and everyone is welcome to join the celebration from 10 am – 2 pm for a day of fun games, balloon animals, free ice cream, and the joy of reading. The summer reading program is for readers of all ages, and you can sign up to join the adventure.

In honor of this year’s theme, Color Our World, I decided to gather a short list of color-themed titles in a variety of genres that you might like to read this summer. This is only a tiny fraction of color-related titles, so I encourage you to search for more to spark your reading during the next few months.

One of my favorite books of all time is a collection of children’s poetry titled Hailstones and Halibut Bones: Adventures in Poetry and Color by Mary O’Neill. This beautiful collection is, sadly, not available at the library, but you can find it online.

Another children’s title that is likely familiar is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, and I am certain the child in all of us would smile reading this again. For the older crowd, there is The Green Mile, a novel by Stephen King – yep, it was a book before it was a movie.

An excellent historical nonfiction book is Devil in the White City by Erik Larson about the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. It is written in the style of a novel and is fascinating. In contrast to white is The Black Widow by Daniel Silva, a spy thriller that was at the top of many bestseller lists.

Red Rising is the first book of a dystopian science fiction series by Pierce Brown. Quite different from that is Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie about a group of Native Americans on the Spokane Reservation who form a band. And, when you mix red and blue, you get The Color Purple by Alice Walker, a powerful epistolary novel that focuses on “…the lives of African American women in early twentieth-century rural Georgia” (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52892857-the-color-purple). 

For the last primary color, we have the award-winning YA historical fiction novel Butterfly Yellow by Thanhhà Lại about Vietnamese siblings during the years following the Vietnam war. And the final color for now is for one of the best summer fruits – James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, a memorable children’s book about a boy and a magical peach.

I challenge you to find some titles and authors with colors in their names (E.B. White, John Green, Tommy Orange, William Goldman, Amy Tan, Margaret Wise Brown, and Cara Black to name a few) and join the fun of the Summer Reading program. Maybe sign up with a friend or family member, partner up to enjoy reading this summer – it might be more fun with a buddy. If you can’t stop in on Saturday the 31st, you can drop in anytime until July 7th to sign up and take part in the program. Final reading logs are due by August 16th. Happy summer reading!