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We all know how important it is to continue learning while school is out! All ages are invited to sign up for the 2022 Summer Learning Program with Polk County Public Libraries and complete challenges for a chance to earn awesome prizes. The Summer Learning slogan this year is “Oceans of Possibilities,” so pick up an ocean-themed book for your first challenge.

 

KIDS

 

Ocean! Waves for All by Stacy McAnulty

A light-hearted nonfiction picture book about the formation and history of the ocean, told from the perspective of the ocean itself.

 

Sharks and Other Sea Creatures by DK

Packed with fun activities, crafts, reading games, and amazing facts, kids can take a dive under the waves and meet all the colorful creatures beneath—from clownfish to starfish to jellyfish—in this educational project book. 

 

TEENS

 

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

A desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial daughter finds a connection on the high seas in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic. 

 

In Harm’s Way: An Adaptation for Young Readers by Doug Stanton and Michael J. Tougias
This thrilling account of the greatest maritime disaster in US naval history is inspiring and unforgettable. On July 30, 1945, the U.S.S. Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine. An estimated 300 men were killed upon impact; close to 900 sailors were cast into the Pacific Ocean, where they remained undetected by the navy for nearly four days and nights. 

ADULTS

 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

A charming, witty, and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

 

The Sound of the Sea by Cynthia Barnett

A compelling history of seashells and the animals that make them, revealing what they have to tell us about nature, our changing oceans, and ourselves. Seashells have been the most coveted and collected of nature’s creations since the dawn of humanity.

 

Jen Pace Dickenson is the youth services librarian for Polk County Public Libraries. For information about the library’s resources, programs, and other services, visit polklibrary.org or call 828-894-8721.