We’re flipping Summer Reading on it’s head with some weird and wonderful events for teens and adults. Check out our event line-up below!
Attend an Upside Down Summer Reading event to earn one entry into a drawing for a special Upside Down prize basket. Attend as many programs as you’d like for more chances to win!
ESCAPE ROOM: BERMUDA TRIANGLE June 9 at 3:00pm. Hop on board PCPL Airlines Flight 4655 to travel from Florida to Puerto Rico…right over the Bermuda Triangle, a space in the North Atlantic where ships, planes, and people have allegedly gone missing. With your teammates, follow a series of clues to safely arrive at your destination. Can you escape the Bermuda Triangle and make it to Puerto Rico or will you get lost in the Bermuda Triangle forever? For kids ages 10 and up. Registration is required.
UPSIDE DOWN SCREEN PRINTING June 22 at 6:00pm. As part of our Stranger Things inspired Upside Down Summer reading program, we’ll screen print bags featuring the famed Big Darby Beast. Registration is limited, so sign up now!
GHOST STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS Join us online July 7th at 8pm for episode 10 of Ghost Stories for Grown-Ups. Settle in for some horrible fun as we share stories both true and imagined to tingle the spine. This episode featuring creepy aquatic creatures is part of our Upside Down Summer Reading Program. Scan the QR code at the end of the episode to be entered into our special Upside Down prize basket drawing. Due to the subject matter, this program is intended for mature audiences.
CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON IN 3D! July 13 at 6:00pm. Join us for a 3D screening of The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Remnants of a mysterious animal have come to light in a remote jungle, and a group of scientists intends to determine if the find is an anomaly or evidence of an undiscovered beast. To accomplish their goal, the scientists (Antonio Moreno, Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, Whit Bissell) must brave the most perilous pieces of land South America has to offer. But the terrain is nothing compared to the danger posed by an otherworldly being that endangers their work and their lives. Watch this classic 1954 film on the library’s big screen in 3D!
MONSTERS IN OHIO – PRESENTED BY JAMES WILLIS July 27 at 6:30pm. Sure, like every other state, Ohio has its fair share of Bigfoot sightings. So many, in fact, that Ohioans believe we even have our own version of Bigfoot: The Ohio Grassman. But don’t worry about the Grassman getting lonely in Ohio. That’s because Ohio is alleged to be home to a whole host of bizarre and unique monsters and cryptids! Learn about the Grassman and more from author and paranormal researcher James Willis.
If you’re an adult who reads YA, you’re not alone. While dated now, a study performed in 2012 discovered that more than half of YA book sales came from adults, particularly those aged 30-44. My first challenge to this statistic was “of course! Adults are buying YA books for their teenage children”, but the study further explains that 78% of the adults buying YA books were actually buying them to read themselves (Publishers Weekly, 2012). If you follow the math, this means about 43% of all YA book sales were going directly to adult readers. These statistics do not include library users, so the overall number of adults reading YA was likely higher.
Ten years later in 2022, I think it’s safe to assume the number of adults reading YA titles is much higher with the rise of BookTube and Booktok, platforms where many adults and teens are sharing their favorite young adult titles on YouTube and TikTok. In fact, the 26% increase in YA fiction sales from 2020 to 2021 has been attributed to the insurgence of BookTok videos recommending backlist YA books with bestselling titles They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera and We Were Liars by E. Lockhart front and center (The NPD Group, 2021). Although both of these books are older (published in 2017 and 2014, respectively), I can personally confirm that I’ve seen both wildly promoted on the platform.
So we understand that YA as a genre is booming, but why does it appeal so heavily to adult readers? Personally, I continue to find myself connecting with coming-of-age stories even as an adult because I’m always learning, growing, and coming into myself no matter how many years have passed and I haven’t found something with quite the same feel in adult literature. Similarly, English Literature professor Virginia Zimmerman explains that “to come of age is perhaps the most common ground there could be among readers. Adults recognize it as something they’ve been through, but they also recognize it as something of a fantasy. It suggests some sort of stable existence. And as adults, we know that we continue to change, continue to come of age.” She also goes on to say that “the YA books that have been popular with adults are dark and serious and hard. People might to go to YA literature to sink into a reality different than their own, but I think they sink into that reality to encounter feelings, challenges, and relationships they recognize from their own lives” (The Atlantic, 2017). In essence, adults are reading YA novels to connect with characters they relate to and feel their emotions deeply.
On the other side of the coin, Spencer Miller says:
Another reason I personally love YA is reading about experiences I don’t relate to. I read to understand what it is like to be a young person today, especially a young person who is growing up completely differently then I did. Most of my recent learning about race, sex, gender, ability and other important facets of identity has come from reading about the diverse experiences of characters in YA fiction. The books I’m reading are having all the conversations no one wanted to have with me when I was teenager. My anxieties about addiction, violence, and the climate crisis are calmed by the realizations and determination of YA protagonists.
Spencer Miller, 2020
Blogger Monica Hay asked similar questions to four publishing professionals as well as adult readers of YA which resulted in 2139 responses. Many of these responses indicate that adults are reading YA titles because they’re fun to read, full of escapism from everyday life, and contain more female-driven stories and are less pretentious than adult literature. In addition to these responses, Monica deduced that much of the reasoning provided by readers hinted to the tone of YA titles. Many respondents claimed that reading YA left them feeling hopeful with one respondent claiming that “adult books are about learning to live in the world we have. YA books are about changing the world” (Hay, 2019).
No matter why you read it, there’s space for you in the reading community as an adult reader of YA books. I hope you find the below recommendations helpful and are comforted by the knowledge that, no matter what you read, you’re not alone!
If you’re an adult who loves to read YA or wants to give it a shot, check out our new summer book club! Follow the library’s social media for updates about monthly picks and go to our events page to sign up.
Discover Oceans of Possibilities This Summer at the Plain City Public Library
The Plain City Public Library’s 2022 Summer Reading Program begins May 27th! 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 27 simply pick up a reading log at the library or print one at home using the links below. You’ll have until July 30 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 awarner@plaincitylib.org (kids) or lpowers@plaincitylib.org (teens & adults) 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.
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.
Friday, April 22nd, 2022 is Earth Day’s 52nd celebration! Looking for books for yourself or your littles? We’ve compiled a list of books with Earth Day themes to check out:
Looking for some fun, and FREE, activities to do over spring break? Look no further, Plain City Public Library has you covered! Check out the ideas below to read, walk, learn, and paint your way through spring break. (And did we mention they’re all FREE?)
Visit the StoryWalk at Pastime Park
Visit the StoryWalk® at Plain City’s Pastime Park, an innovative and delightful way for children — and adults! — to enjoy reading and the outdoors at the same time. Pages from a children’s book are displayed in cases, which are installed along the walking path at Pastime Park. As you stroll down the trail, you’re directed to the next page in the story. Find out more about the StoryWalk®.
Find a great NEW book to read
Why not dive into a new book? Check out lists of new and recommended books to place holds online or make a trip to the library to see what new releases are available so you can take one home today.
Pick up a Fantasy Figure Painting Take & Make Kit
Have fun creating, painting, and taking your fantasy character on epic campaigns. This kit includes everything you’ll need to create your very own fantasy character. Send us a photo or video of your character in action for a chance to appear in a social media post. Supplies are limited and are available beginning March 21!
Learn a new language
Transparent Language Online is a fun, effective, and engaging experience for learners of all levels looking to build their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in a foreign language. Combining extensive courses and supplemental resources for over 100 languages, including English, Transparent Language Online is the most complete language-learning system.
Check out a puzzle or board game
PCPL has a large collection of puzzles and board games for all ages! A rainy spring day is the perfect time to work on a 3D puzzle or try a new game. From Candy Land and card games to Avengers Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit, the library has a game for everyone! You can even check out a kit to host your own murder mystery.
Stop by a Little Free Library
Little Free Libraries are 24/7 book-sharing boxes that typically include books for children, teens, and adults. Take or give as many books as you’d like! Little Free Libraries have been popping up all around Plain City. Local Little Free Libraries include:
Canaan Community Mobile Home Park The Meadows subdivision (residential) Plain City Druggist Plain City Public Library (side yard) South Chillicothe Street (residential)
…and more! How many Little Free Libraries can you find?
Don’t forget to tag us in your social media posts! Use #PCLibrary to let us know which to-do’s you’ve checked off your list. Have a fun and safe spring break!
