One World Many Stories: Beyond Summer Reading Program

December 09, 2010

This summer, we’ll be doing some "traveling" abroad -- without having to go through customs or security checks! Our summer reading program theme of "One World-Many Stories" (beginning May, 2011) encourages young readers and listeners (birth – 5th grade) to enjoy stories about other places and cultures. "You are Here" is the theme for teens (6th – 12th grade). Why wait ‘til summer though? You can start reading about other places and people now.

This is the first installment about my recent trip to Jamaica with International Commission and 48 other Americans. Jamaica is a small island country located 80 miles south of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea. Having never been outside of the United States, I did quite a bit of research about Jamaica before I left. I needed to know about the climate so I would know what kind of clothes to pack. It was 29 degrees here in Kansas City the day I left and 85 degrees in Jamaica! I was also curious about the food, and I wanted to know about customs; specifically, do I have any habits that would be considered offensive? Oh, and then there was the whole language thing. I was happy to know that most Jamaicans speak English, but they also speak Jamaican Patois. I also learned about Jamaican history, sports, geography, economy, and their political system.

So, how did I find out about all of this? I accessed research databases available through Mid-Continent Public Library! ABC-CLIO World Geography, World Geography and Culture Online, and CultureGrams were the databases I used, and I learned a lot of very useful information.

I will be sharing more information about Jamaica and my experiences there in the near future, so stay tuned!

Debbie A.
Blue Ridge Branch