Summer Reading: Make It a Part of Your Summer Travel Plans

Librarian Tiffany Whitehead keeps a map of her travels in her office. Before leaving for a trip she often reads a novel set in that location.

Before you board that train, plane or automobile for summer vacation, make sure to include reading as part of your packing list.

“I believe summer is the best time to read,” says Episcopal Library Director Tiffany Whitehead.  Whitehead, who is an avid traveler, says she enjoys reading books set in her vacation destination before heading out.  For example, before going road tripping in Ireland she read “Love and Luck” by Jenna Evans Welch, a teen novel set in the Irish countryside.

Whitehead offers these additional tips for summer reading success:

1. Pack
There are now a range of options to make reading easier and more enjoyable for readers of all ages.  Today’s students are accustomed to electronics, making e-readers a great reading option for students on the go.  In addition, audiobooks can make a family road trip even more adventurous as everyone listens along together. Whitehead suggests loading your devices with good reads before heading out for vacation.  Helpful hint: don’t forget to include options from the Episcopal summer reading list.

2. Plan
To make summer reading even more enjoyable, Whitehead recommends participating in the East Baton Rouge Parish Library’s Summer Reading Program. Participating in the program will help students keep track of how many books they have read over the break. The library offers an extensive array of electronic and audiobook options to fill your devices before heading out.  The library staff also offer events and even rewards for those who participate as an incentive to get reading.

3. Enjoy!
While there is the required school summer reading list, Whitehead says summer is also a great time to read simply for fun.  She recommends using the break to explore a new author or an unfamiliar genre. Whitehead says no matter how or where you read this summer, enjoy what you are reading.   

Library Director Tiffany Whitehead in the Long Room at Trinity College in Dublin.

​What are the readers reading?
Tiffany Whitehead:
“Love and Luck” by Jenna Evans Welch

Nancy Kramm:
“Akata Witch” by Nnedi Okorafor
“Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood

Catherine Word:
​“Five Days at Memorial” by Sheri Fink
“Raymie Nightingale” by Kate DiCamillo

When not reading and traveling this summer, the library team will be attending the American Library Conference in New Orleans where they will present “Building Relationships in School Library.”

​Happy summer reading!
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It was a great year for reading at Episcopal!  Students spoke with the "I Survived" author Lauren Tarshis via Skype, they celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday, they won young author competitions, battled with books, collected books for babies and competed in book trivia.