By P.L. Stiles

Rowan Public Library

“Let me, O let me bathe my soul in colours; let me swallow the sunset and drink the rainbow.” — Khalil Gibran

Rowan Public Library’s Summer Reading Program is upon us and the theme this summer is “Color Our World.” The Summer Reading program serves to help grade school students keep up their reading skills over the summer and kicks off several weeks of library fun. It also serves as a reading party for adults. Summertime often provides the perfect lazy afternoon activity for beaches or hammocks, but it can also be a bright and colorful time of year. To make your life more colorful, below are several featured books on how to color all parts of your world this summer.

To bring color to a house or home try “Design Happy: Colorful Homes for the Modern Family,” by Betsy Wentz – with colorful design ideas to liven up any room, bedroom, kitchen, home or patio. For a more colorful and healthy diet, try the flavorful book “Eat your superpowers! How colorful foods keep you healthy and strong,” by Toni Buzzeo, offering tasty suggestions for how colorful food can enhance health. For the painter or artist, check out the eBook “Artist toolbox : Color: A Practical Guide to Color and Its Uses in Art” (2017). This eBook offers a full primer on color — its uses, how it captures mood and meaning, and how to blend colors to achieve beautiful results. Go to www.RowanPublicLibrary.org to access NC Live in Digital Materials and Resources.

For the Gardener, “Color-Rich Gardening for the South: A Guide for All Seasons,” by Roxann Ward brings colorful gardening ideas that will flourish in the damp Southern summer warmth. For a playful and inspired tribute to Queen Elizabeth, “Our Rainbow Queen: A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and Her Colorful Wardrobe” by Sali Hughs displays the queen in all her colorful glory with pictures and stories of her choices and styles. For folks in need of some divine inspiration Sybil MacBeth’s book “Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God” may light a colorful path to spiritual connection.

Coloring our world may mean different things to different people, but adding colorfulness to any aspect of life can bring about a new perspective and open up new vistas of wonder and experience. Rowan Public Library’s Summer Reading Program begins soon with wonderful opportunities to enjoy community, reading, and to color the world a little more vibrantly. For a full list of RPL’s Summer Reading fun for all ages, visit online at bit.ly/RPLSRP25. To learn more, visit your local RPL branch or call 980-432-8670. All summer long there will be games, lively events, and chances to win prizes for folks of all ages. Don’t miss the opportunity to color your world in new and exciting ways.

P.L. Stiles is an adult outreach librarian at Rowan Public Library.