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Summer Reading 2023

Read, Learn, and Discover Something New This Summer at the Plain City Public Library 

The Plain City Public Library’s 2023 Summer Reading Program begins May 26th! The Summer Reading Program offers participants rewards for reading over the summer months. The Plain City Public Library offers a Summer Reading Program for kids (ages 3 – 12), teens (12-17), and adults (18 and up).

Beginning May 26 simply pick up a reading log at the library or print one at home using the links below. You’ll have until July 31 to fill in your reading log and turn it in to the library. Reading logs can be returned in person, in the library’s book drop, by mail, or you can email a scanned copy or photo to lpowers@plaincitylib.org and make arrangements to pick up your prizes later.

Kids will earn prizes for reading for 6 and 12 hours over the summer! Teens and adults have the chance to win a gift card, tote bags filled with surprises, and other fun prizes. The more you read, the more chances you’ll get! Plus, one child and one teen or adult will win our grand prize: a Kindle Fire!

The library will also host a series of online programs in conjunction with the Summer Reading Program. Check out our Events page for up-to-date summer program offerings.

Download & Print Your Summer Reading Log

Kids Reading Log

Teen & Adult Reading Log

Not sure which book to pick up first this summer? Check out our lists of new and recommended reads for all ages in our catalog. These lists are updated weekly with the newest library material. Check out the following lists of recommended reads for children with titles that come highly recommended by kid readers themselves! In addition to print books, most of these titles are available as eBooks in Overdrive (Libby) or Hoopla.

Recommended Reads for Birth-Preschool

Recommended Reads for Kindergarten-Grade 2

Recommended Reads for Grades 3-5

Recommended Reads for Grades 6-8

Recommended Reads for Teens coming soon

Libraries to host a conversation with author Ta-Nehisi Coates

Event scheduled for Sunday, February 4 

The Plain City Public Library, in partnership with Bexley Public Library, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Delaware County District Library, Grandview Heights Public Library, Granville Public Library, London Public Library, Southwest Public Libraries, Upper Arlington Public Library, Westerville Public Library and Worthington Libraries, will present acclaimed author Ta-Nehisi Coates at 3 pm on Sunday, February 4 at the Upper Arlington High School Performing Arts Center (1625 Zollinger Road). Coates will appear in conversation with Sophia Fifner, president and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club. Tickets for the event start at $25 per person and are available at app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=214762.                                   

ABOUT TA-NEHISI COATES

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an award-winning author and journalist. He is the author of the bestselling books The Beautiful Struggle, We Were Eight Years in Power, The Water Dancer and Between the World and Me, which won the National Book Award in 2015. He was a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship that same year. 

As a journalist with a career spanning over two decades, he’s written for numerous publications including The Washington City Paper, The Village Voice, The New Yorker and The New York Times. During his time reporting for The Atlantic between 2008-2018, he penned numerous articles and essays, including the National Magazine Award-winning 2012 essay “Fear of a Black President” and the influential June 2014 essay “The Case For Reparations.”

Ta-Nehisi also enjoyed a successful run writing Marvel’s Black Panther (2016-2021) and Captain America (2018-2021) comics series. Ta-Nehisi is currently writing the screenplays for the upcoming films Wrong Answer, Superman and the film adaptation of his first fiction novel, The Water Dancer. In fall 2022, he joined Howard University’s faculty as a writer-in-residence and the Sterling Brown Chair in the Department of English. 

ABOUT SOPHIA FIFNER

Sophia Fifner serves as the president and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC), a visionary organization that connects people and ideas through community conversations and founder of Brave Philanthropist, a campaign she launched in 2022 to change the face of philanthropy and to activate giving to women’s and girls’ organizations. 

ABOUT THE EVENT

Tickets for A Conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates are on sale now. Participating libraries will not have tickets to sell at their locations. Ticket prices begin at $25.00 each. Books will be available for purchase through Gramercy Books. There will be no book signing at the event. 

Holiday Hours

The Plain City Public Library will observe the following holiday hours:

Wednesday, December 6 – CLOSED for Staff Development
Monday, December 25 – CLOSED
Tuesday, December 26 CLOSED
Monday, January 1 – CLOSED

Thank you for your patience as library staff spend the holidays with our loved ones.

Introducing…the Crash Cart!

You may notice a new addition to Plain City Public Library programming this summer. The Crash Cart contains everything needed to bring fun and educational STEAM projects for all ages right to you! Look for the Crash Cart this summer with a new project immediately following large events at the Library.

So far this summer we’ve designed and made our own buttons and created beautiful tissue paper suncatchers! What project will the Crash Cart bring next? Find out by visiting us inside the Library following these events:

Look for these and other pop-up Crash Cart events when you visit the Library this summer!

This project was funded in part by a federal Institute of Museum and Library Services LSTA grant awarded by the State Library of Ohio.

Holiday Resources & Tips

Along with all the fun and excitement, the holidays can be busy and hectic. Let the Plain City Public Library help! The Library has resources to help ease the rush of the holiday season.

Holiday Tip #1: Find a new recipe to share

Looking to try a new recipe this year? Check out one of our cookbooks – with loads of new titles and, of course, the old standards, you’ll be sure to find a tasty new dish to share: http://ow.ly/qf8550LTMCz

Holiday Tip #2: Stream holiday music

Looking for some festive holiday tunes? Check out hoopla, where you can stream music for free with your Plain City Public Library card! Visit https://www.hoopladigital.com/collection/17039?utm_marquee=yes&utm_content=homepage_Marquee1 to check out their new holiday music collection.

Holiday Tip #3: Take a break! Cozy up with a holiday read

Need a break? Curl up with one of these cozy winter reads, available from PCPL: http://ow.ly/E6mg50LTS1c

Holiday Tip #4: Experience the joy of making

Oh what fun it is to craft! Check out new holiday crafting classes on Creativebug. Access these and hundreds of other award-winning video classes taught by top designers and artists for FREE with your library card. Get started here: https://www.creativebug.com/classseries/new-releases–lookbook/celebrate-the-season-a-daily-holiday-painting-practice

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