Ahhhh Summer… as I type this the loud hum of cicadas is joined by the silent flights of dragonflies & damselflies gobbling up mosquitoes, butterflies mating and egg-laying, and all sorts of buzzing brothers and sisters pollinating. Jewelweed is blooming at the edge of Ohio woods, while Black-eyed Susans are beginning to open up in our meadows. Gardens have a month of growth behind them and the Ohio prairie show is picking up steam at places like Prairie Oaks, Sharon Woods, and Glacier Ridge Metroparks as well as the big prairie restoration at Whetstone park.

As all this is going on here at home, there’s another Summer staple starting up at your local library: Summer reading programs! You’ve all seen them: charts with little boxes or bubbles challenging your kiddos to read a certain amount of time each day to win prizes. It’s the grownups’ turn to have some Summer reading fun! Here are some great books you should read this Summer AND the prizes you’ll get if you do:

How to Raise a Wild Child by Scott D. Sampson

The Book:

Light and easy tips for bringing more and more nature into your family’s lives… not just activities to take your children to… but stuff for the whole family to do together! I love the straight-forward ideas and explanations as well as the author’s personal stories of how his family has tried these ideas!

Your Prize:

If you read this and try some of his ideas, I promise you’ll enjoy this Summer in this place even more! These light and easy ideas are great confidence-builders for anyone just dipping there toe into outdoors-y-ness!

Last Child in the Woods/Vitamin N by Richard Louv

The Books:

Richard Louv is THE guy when it comes to connecting kiddos to nature. His book Last Child in the Woods essentially started the movement. That book gives a very compelling case for WHY you and yours should connect with all the life around us. Vitamin N gives LOTS of ideas of HOW at every level and for every interest. Games, organizations, websites… this book is a treasure trove!

Your Prize:

You’ll have an understanding of exactly why it’s important for your family to connect with the outdoors, get motivated to start, and you’ll have many direct paths to follow! Find more info and news from Louv’s organization here.

The Humane Gardener by Nancy Lawson

The Book:

This book has great WHY’s and HOW’s about bringing all this nature you want to connect with to your yard! I’ve written many blogs about the wonders of native plants before, and this book sings their praises too… but ALSO talks about humanely managing your yard in a way that’s safe for people AND nature and so much more! Checkout her website AND the Earth Friendly Pest Management Facebook page for tips of how to NOT poison the earth or your family AND still not have mice and carpenter ants all over either!

Your Prize:

If you follow the principles in this book, you’ll get to experience an amazing backyard oasis with butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds, and fuzzy-butt bees (who will leave you alone if you leave them alone). You and your kiddo will have so many animal brothers and sisters to connect with! AND you’ll have less risk of cancer by eliminating pesticide use!

So there you have it! I’ve got some more books to recommend, but let’s start with these. If you read one or all of the above books, let me know on my instagram: @jaredthenatureguy

Stay tuned for part 2 where it gets DEEP!