As the weather heats up and summer rolls in, the first things many may think of are trips to the beach and vacations to faraway locations with beautiful scenery. Others may be thinking of those exact same things, while also having a good book to read.

Summer reading is a long-standing tradition; taking in a riveting story or fascinating information on a topic of interest while at the beach, listening to the sounds of the waves, soaking in the sun and breathing in the briny ocean air is a pleasure enjoyed by many.

Summer reading is also a habit that is important to instill in children, especially in the post-pandemic world, given how much school has been interrupted for them over the past year.

“Summer learning loss or setback, often referred to as the ‘summer slide,’ is a devastating loss of academic achievement students experience during the summer months. It is estimated that, on average, students lose two months of grade-level mathematical computation skills over the summer, and low-income students can lose up to two months of reading achievement (McLaughlin & Smink, 2009),” according to the National Education Association’s website. “...The body of summer learning research demonstrates the critical importance of developing summer reading habits that can combat summer learning loss and provide a foundation for academic success.”

Fortunately, Newtown has the perfect solution to help make summer reading a reality — the 48th annual C.H. Booth Library Book Sale, to be conducted this year from July 12 through 16 at Reed Intermediate School, 3 Trades Lane. Full of treasures just waiting to become some reader’s new favorite book and best friend, the library sale features multiple rooms full of mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy, art, nature, cooking, children’s and young adult books, as well as puzzles, games, CDs and DVDs, all priced to walk home with a bag full of adventure companions.

Sponsored by the Friends of the C.H. Booth Library, funds from the book sale support the library in purchasing books, CDs and DVDs, as well as programs for children and adults, database and media streaming services and special projects.

For those who would like something new to read a bit sooner, the Booth Library also offers its Little Book Store, run during library hours at the library’s location at 25 Main Street.

Additionally, for younger folks, the Booth Library has a summer reading program — now through August 17. Children ages 4 through fifth grade are eligible to participate in the summer reading program: “READ, RENEW, REPEAT.” Each child will receive a packet of wildflower seeds and two tickets to a Westerner’s baseball game just for registering. Complete BINGO in any direction and fill in the raffle ticket at the bottom of the sheet. Prizes include gift cards for ice cream, crafts, toys and books! Pre-readers can have books read aloud to them. All raffle entries are due on or before August 17.

The 2024 Teen Summer Reading Program also runs through August 17. To participate, teen readers need to pick up a reading log from the Young Adult Department and fill in each book they read. For every book read, they will receive a ticket. They can enter tickets into one of six grand prize buckets for a chance to win. Reading logs are now available in the Young Adult Department of the library. The 2024 Teen Summer Reading Program is open to grades six through twelve. Grand prize winners will be announced Tuesday, August 20.

Finally, the adult summer reading program, which runs through August 23, is partnering with vendors from Newtown Farmer’s Market this summer. Join this program to be eligible for weekly prize drawings. Pick up a summer reading packet at the library or the farmer’s market. Read a book of choice. Each week the reader reads a book, they may complete a ticket (one ticket per week). Visit the library or farmer’s market to enter a ticket for a chance to win the weekly prize.