That’s a wrap on our 2024 Summer Reading Challenge! Thank you to everyone who read and learned with us. Whether it was diving into books, trying new things, or exploring new places, we think it’s safe to say that this summer was quite an adventure. Read on to learn more about all of your accomplishments.

FINAL CHALLENGE NUMBERS & GRAND PRIZE WINNERS

All together you:

• Logged 69,727 books
• Checked-out 345,325 books
• Submitted 2,686 book reviews
• Earned 10,138 activity badges.
• Attended 986 programs.

Grand Prize Winners:

• Apple iPad: Genesis T. (Libbie Mill)
• Canon EOS Rebel T100 Digital SLR Camera: Sebastian V. (Varina)
• Nintendo Switch OLED Mario Red Edition with Super Smash Bros Ultimate: Roman L. (Tuckahoe)
• Razor A3 Kick Scooter:
  • Emery F. (Fairfield), Lucas S. (Gayton), Benjamin M. (Glen Allen), Adam B. (Libbie Mill), Tavelle (TJ) E. (North Park), Kayla-Rae N. (Sandston), Ellie W. (Tuckahoe), Sophia J. (Twin Hickory), Julian H. (Varina)

• Outdoor Adventure Set (camp chair, shade tent, state park pass):
  • Madison J. (Fairfield), Zealand Z. (Gayton), Bennett W. (Glen Allen), Krystal Z. (Libbie Mill), Dale R. (North Park), Emily E. (Sandston), Reagan R. (Tuckahoe), Mia F. (Twin Hickory), Penny Lane B. (Varina)

• CCS Skateboard with tools:
  • Alex C. (Fairfield), Penelope W. (Gayton), William M. (Glen Allen), Josue S. (Libbie Mill), Peyton L. (North Park), Luna D. (Sandston), Tessa Elise D. (Tuckahoe), Kenny O. (Twin Hickory), Ainsley W. (Varina)

Of course, all Summer Reading Challenge finishers are winners. Stop by your library to pick up your finishing prize: sunglasses or a compass keychain for kids, a collapsible water bottle for teens, and a collectible coffee mug for adults!

Summer Reading is a great way to set reading and learning goals for ourselves, regardless of age. Summer Reading can especially help students maintain important literacy skills gained throughout the school year. Judging by the numbers, this summer was full of reading, learning, and fun.

BOOK REVIEWS

After pouring over hundreds of book reviews–and adding several titles to our “to-be-read” list—here are just a few of your thoughts about what you read this summer:

• Clock Striker, Vol. 1 by Issaka Galadima - A spectacular start to a promising manga series! Can't wait to find out more about Cast, a young Black girl, on a mission to become what's known as a 'Smith' - legendary warrior engineers. STEM-savvy, brilliant, and a charming character to boot, Cast has all the makings of a marvelous main character; Clock Striker, Vol 1. is the setup for a highly entertaining manga series. – Naila P., Tuckahoe

• If You Love Dolphins You Could Be… by May Nakamura - This book was so amazing. I loved learning about different jobs and it makes me want to learn how to scuba dive so I can make my own movies about the ocean. – Kennedy G., 1^st grade, Fairfield

• Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao - I read this book for the mecha and stayed for the development of the thruple. The ending of this book had one of the best plot twists I've ever read. 5 out of 5. – Alexzandria S., Fairfield

• Mama’s Library Summers by Melvina Noel - I am so glad to see we are not the only family where the love of reading came from wonderful summers at the library. They truly are an invaluable resource to each and every person! – Alexa R., Twin Hickory

• Queerstory: An Infographic History of the Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights by Linda Riley - LOVED this book! An easy read that would be a great coffee table addition. The setup and juxtaposition of the quotes and the graphics make for a smooth flow from page to page as you move through history. Plus, it just made me smile! – Nikki J., Libbie Mill

• Say Yes Summer by Lindsey Roth Culli – Say Yes Summer is the story of an introverted high-school graduate named Rachel who suddenly realizes she spent her entire childhood not having any fun. She's not sure what to do, until she finds one of her grandma's old magazines that challenges Rachel to "say yes" to everything! This book is an explosion of adventures, chaos… and finding out who Rachel was meant to be, all in one crazy summer. – Samantha M., 9^th grade, Gayton

• Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate - Shelterwood is an excellent read, along with Before We Were Yours and The Book of Lost Friends. It’s always interesting to read the author's note in the back of these books as there is so much insight into the history and social injustices alluded to in the author’s writing. Very informational and soul-searching as well. – Gretchen J., Sandston

• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - This lovely English mystery is told with great humor, humanity, and skill. Four retired friends enjoy working on cold case files of murders, when one happens right in their midst... Together they often out-wit the local police and collect evidence in unusual ways. Very enjoyable…” – Gayle S., Varina

• Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen - I would recommend this book to people that are from two or more heritages who are wanting to learn more about themselves. I liked that the main character was both Jewish and Indigenous. – Ella B., 6^th grade, North Park

• Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson - Such a good book! The first [book in the series] was absolutely amazing and this sequel lived up to it. A rich fantasy duology filled with fiery romance and action worth the time to read. – Zadie F., 11^th grade, Glen Allen

ACTIVITY CHALLENGE SUBMISSIONS

This summer we challenged you to explore, discover, and learn, and boy did you! Below are just a few highlights from your adventures. This summer you:

Cooked up some delicious dishes:

• Sandwiches that look like traffic lights
• Ninja Turtle Pizza
• A Jell-O swimming pool scene
• Toad in a Hole from the American Girl Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook
• Green Beans Almondine from Natasha’s Kitchen.
• Scotch Shortbread Cookies from Taste of Home: Five Ingredient Cookbook
• Corn Maque Choux
• Strawberry Pie for Juneteenth
• Pickled Vidalia onions with instructions from Foolproof Preserving and Canning
• Coconut curry with fish
• Pizza with homemade dough
• Thai basil pesto
• Cauliflower shawarma and birthday cake with strawberry compote and lemon filling
• Mushroom carbonara with a lemon/cashew sauce (vegan)
• Okonomiyaki (Japanese style Broccoli pancake) with crispy sausage and spicy mayo
• A British feast with Yorkshire Pudding for a book club gathering

Listened to new (or, new-to-you) music on Hoopla:

• Camila Cabello
• Taylor Swift
• Charles Persip and the Jazz Statesmen
• Bach, Vivaldi, & Chopin
• “Rise” by Sam Rivera
• Moon Walkers
• The Beatles
• Ice Spice
• Chappell Roan
• The White Stripes
• Jeremy Camp
• Sia
• Hans Zimmer
• South African music
• “Ohio Players” by The Black Keys
• Kidz Bop 2024
• Barbie soundtrack
• Hamilton soundtrack
• Kacey Musgraves
• Pokémon soundtrack
• The Gorillaz
• Tom Petty
• Billie Eilish
• The Greatest Showman soundtrack
• Robin and Lucinda Williams
• K-Pop

Explored new hobbies:

• Stop motion animation
• Mosaic crochet
• Astronomy + birth chart mapping
• Book binding and design
• Raku pottery
• Meditation
• Gardening
• Drawing comics
• Photography
• Hiking
• Stamp collecting
• Jewelry-making
• Quilting
• Badminton
• Dirt-biking
• Flower arranging
• Stained glass

Discovered your inner-poet (check out these book-inspired haikus):

Princess of Japan,

In love with a bodyguard,

What is her future? – Kelly Y., Twin Hickory

Cassel be careful,

Do not trust your big brothers,

Keep the stones on you – Annabelle N., Gayton

Big hype on BookTok

Slow burn that never picked up,

Fantasy? Not me – Isabel G., Glen Allen

A death is revealed,

Memories resurfacing,

Killer from long past – Lithawana P., Fairfield

Blackmantle so good,

Beautiful, eloquent, clean,

Wonderful novel! – Tabitha G., Varina
 

Adventured to parks near and far:

Henrico County Parks:

• Dorey Park
• Crump Park
• Echo Lake
• Short Pump Park
• Deep Run Park
• Taylor Farm
• Osborne Landing
• Splash parks
• Three Lakes Park
• Dunncroft/Castlepoint Park

Beyond Henrico:

• York River State Park
• The Natural Bridge
• First Landing State Park
• Machicomoco State Park
• Belle Isle State Park
• Arches National Park (Utah)
• Acadia National Park (Maine)
• Pocahontas State Park
• Shenandoah National Park

Shared your expertise (check out your “top 5” favorites):

Top 5 Instant Ramen (Jenny P., North Park)

1. Buldak
2. Indomie
3. MAMA – Grenn Curry
4. MAMA – Shrimp/Pork
5. Shim Ramyun

Top 5 Roller Coasters at Busch Gardens (Tiffany D., Varina)

1. Verbolten
2. Apollo's Chariot
3. Loch Ness
4. Alpengeist
5. Pantheon

Top 5 Video Games (Michael S., 6^th grade, Sandston)

1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
3. Minecraft
4. Mario Kart 8
5. Metroid

Top 5 Favorite Dogs (Holland L., 3^rd grade, Twin Hickory)

1. Pug
2. German Shepherd
3. Dalmatian
4. Husky
5. French Bulldog

My Top 5 Favorite Stuffed Animals (Vivian R., 1^st grade, Tuckahoe)

1. Gracie
2. Sophie
3. Hearts
4. Gerald
5. Baby Gracie

Top 5 New York Times Games: (Monica M., 12^th grade, Twin Hickory)

1. Spelling Bee
2. Sudoku
3. Connections
4. Wordle
5. The Mini

Top 5 Cozy Graphic Novels Featuring Cats: (Ame B., Fairfield)

1. Cat Massage Therapy
2. Chi’s Sweet Home
3. Cat Kid Comic Club
4. One Cup at a Time
5. Cat’s Café

My Top 5 Books I’ve Read So Far This Summer (Sarah H., Libbie Mill)

1. James
2. The Ministry of Time
3. My Favorite Thing is Monsters
4. Wild Houses
5. The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies

Top 5 Fantasy Retirement Hobbies: (Nancy T., Fairfield)

1. Burro Racing
2. Mini Farming/Ranching
3. Camper Van Traveling
4. Reduce/Reuse/Repurpose/Refurbish Guru
5. Fly Fishing Expert

Top 5 LEGO Sets: (Ewan L., 2^nd grade, Gayton)

1. 3-in-1 Frog Set
2. Space Sets
3. Jurassic Park
4. Indiana Jones
5. Beach Sets

WHAT NEXT?

Continue to set reading goals for yourself with our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten and 100 Books Before Graduation programs, and use the momentum from summer to kick-off a year full of reading! For adults in need of book recommendations, find suggested titles on our blog, subscribe to genre-specific newsletters, or try out our My Next Read service for personalized book lists from our librarians.