When summer rolls around and kids start flocking to your library (or so is the goal!), be ready for them. Below are some publications that offer tips, tools, and ideas for planning and executing your own successful summer reading extravaganza.

• 52 Programs for Preschoolers: The Librarian's Year-round Planner / Diane Briggs. Chicago: American Library Association, 1997.
• Bilingual Books in English and Spanish/Los libros bilingues para niños en Inglés y Español: An Annotated Bibliography 1942-2001/Una bibliografia con anotaciones, 1942-2001 / Doris Cruger Dale. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2003.
• Books to Build On: A Grade-by-grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers / edited by John Holdren and E.D. Hirsch, Jr. New York: Delta, 1996.
• Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide / Betsy Hearne; with Deborah Stevenson. 3rd ed. Urbana, Il.: University of Illinois Press, 1999.
• Cool Story Programs for the School-Age Crowd / Rob Reid. Chicago: American Library Association, 2004.
• Fiore's Summer Library Reading Program Handbook / Carole D. Fiore. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2005.
• Miles, Jo Ann.; Sweetland, John D. "A summer reading program for second-language learners." The Reading Teacher, v. 54 no5 (Feb. 2001) p. 474-7
• Running Summer Library Reading Programs: A How to Do It Manual/ Carole D Fiore. New York: Neal-Schuman, 1998.
• Sizzling Summer Reading Programs for Young Adults / Katharine L. Kan for the Young Adult Library Services Association. Chicago: American Library Association, 2006
• Something Funny Happened at the Library: How to Create Humorous Programs for Children and Young Adults / Rob Reid. Chicago: American Library Association, 2002.
• Stories Never Ending: A Program Guide for Schools and Libraries / Jan Irving. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2004.
• Summer reading clubs: complete plans for 50 theme-based library programs / by Martha Seif Simpson. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, 1992.
• Summer reading program fun: 10 thrilling, inspiring, wacky board games for kids / Wayne L. Johnson; Yvette C Johnson. Chicago: American Library Association, 1999.
• Twenty Tellable Tales: Audience Participation Folktales for the Beginning Storyteller / Margaret Read MacDonald. Chicago: American Library Association, 2005.
• What do children read next?: a reader's guide to fiction for children / Candy Colborn; Detroit: Gale Research, 1994.

Many state libraries and state library associations develop themes and support materials for summer reading programs. A general web search, using a standard search engine, will yield up many of these.

For information and research on summer reading and learning and summer learning loss, visit the Center for Summer Learning (Johns Hopkins University).

For a list of the state libraries, see the list of state libraries prepared by PublicLibraries.com.

For a list of the state library associations, see the State/Regional Library Association Guide prepared by the ALA Chapter Relations Office.

Below are some publications describing state library reading programs. These may be borrowed from holding libraries via inter-library loan.

• Alabama: Go wild, read: Summer Library Program: program manual, 2001 / Alabama Public Library Service.; Alabama Summer Library Program. Montgomery : Alabama Public Library Service, 2001.
• Louisiana: Zip into the future, read: Louisiana summer reading program 2001 / edited by Gale K. Criswell ; design and illustration by Byron Marshall. Baton Rouge, La.: State Library of Louisiana, 2001.
• Louisiana: Let the good books roll! = Laissez les bons livres rouler!: 1999 Louisiana summer reading manual / Gale K. Criswell, editor. Baton Rouge, LA: State Library of Louisiana, Library Development Division, 1999.
• Missouri: Book your summer: Missouri teen summer reading program: planning manual. Jefferson City, MO: Missouri State Library, 2000.
• New York: Splish Splash Read!: New York State summer reading program / written and compiled by Ellen Loughran and Brooklyn Public Library; original art by Stephen Campbell and Brooklyn Public Library's Marketing & Communications Department; additional drawings by Felix Plaza, Eileen Kassab; layout and design by Diane Bonder and Brooklyn Public Library's Marketing & Communications Department. Cogan Station, Pa.?: Printed and distributed by JanWay Company, 2002.
• Pennsylvania: Animal odyssey- make tracks to the library!: summer reading 2001, a program guide / edited by Georgia Tiffany; cover art by Lynn Skoff. Harrisburg, Pa.: Pennsylvania Library Association], 2001.
• Pennsylvania: Spotlight on reading: be a star @ your library / edited by Rita Hunt Smith; cover art by David Perry. Harrisburg, Pa.?: s.n., 2002.
• Virginia: Up and running: a step-by-step guide to managing your summer reading program: sponsored by the Library of Virginia; edited by Nora June Natke. Richmond, Va.: Library of Virginia, 1997.