Remember to keep your library card handy this summer. (Photo by Donna Erickson)

I’m not a financial analyst, but one thing I do know for sure is that cash is flying out of my billfold. Today’s $75 tab to fill the tank in our family car and even more to fill the refrigerator were a clear sign that costs are rising before my eyes.

But wait! There’s one place where the sticker price stays the same: FREE. Grab your kids and jump on your bikes today to check out your neighborhood library, the best deal in town. Apply for free library cards to discover how you can fill the summer months with reading and motivating literacy-based activities. It’s a deal you can’t afford not to invest in, where the dividends count more than dollars and cents.

This summer’s theme at our local public library — “Look What’s Cookin’ at Your Library” — got me thinking of some of my favorite foodie-related children’s books and literacy ideas. Take a look at this menu of practical reading and writing activities you can stir up with your family this summer to keep minds sharp. And remember my tip — there’s no tab!

— Box-Top Reading: Start the day with some box-top reading and surprise each other with the new vocabulary words you pick up. Read ingredients and nutritional information listed on the side panels of cereal boxes, or the serving tips on the back of a frozen-waffle box.

— Read on the Go: Pack a book between the sandwiches and chips in your picnic basket. When you read “The Most Perfect Spot” by Diane Goode, the ants and mosquitoes at your spot won’t seem like such a nuisance.

— Eat and Read: Who doesn’t love savory spaghetti on Friday night and a platter of pancakes on Saturday morning? Prepare these family favorites with your young kids, and then wind down the day with classic picture-book titles such as “Strega Nona” by Tomie dePaola and “Pancakes, Pancakes!” by Eric Carle.

— Play With Food Words: Enjoy word play around the dinner table. See how many expressions you can think of that use food themes and then talk about them. For example: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” “Go bananas,” “Sour grapes,” “Bring home the bacon,” “Icing on the cake,” “That’s the way the cookie crumbles,” etc.

— Grandparent Connection Tip: Share memories of a family recipe with your grandchild. WRITE a grocery list for the ingredients and shop for them together; then READ the directions aloud as you prepare the dish.

EXTRA TIP: Keep a basket near your door to corral library books and to store your library cards.

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© 2022 Donna Erickson

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