Summer is here, and it’s time to grab your favorite blanket, a refreshing drink, and a stack of books that will take you on adventures near and far. Whether you’re staying local or traveling this break, Loyola University Chicago Libraries invites you to join us for Camp Summer Reading Bingo, running from May 19 to August 22! Everyone who participates will be entered into a prize drawing. We will announce 3 winners the week of August 25!
Inspired by the spirit of summer camp—complete with wilderness, teamwork, ghost stories, and a bit of friendly competition—this year’s Bingo card is packed with 24 reading challenges (plus a free space!) to keep your TBR list exciting all season long.
🎯 How It Works:
- Read a book that fits one of the squares on the bingo card.
- Fill out the entry form with the book title, author, and the square you’re completing.
- Each book = 1 entry.
- Get a BINGO (five in a row) = +2 bonus entries.
- Complete a blackout (all squares) = +5 bonus entries!
🔗 Find the full bingo board and directions here or check us out on Instagram @librariesLUC for inspiration and book recs all summer.
🏕️ Need Help Getting Started? Try These Book Recs!
📖 A book about teamwork or friendship:
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley – A powerful thriller wrapped in Ojibwe culture and deep-rooted community bonds.
🌊 A book about water or swimming:
The Deep by Rivers Solomon – A haunting and poetic novella inspired by mermaid folklore and the Middle Passage.
📗 A translated book:
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi – A moving, magical read translated from Japanese, where a café lets you travel back in time (but only briefly).
🌿 A book set in the wilderness:
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah – Set in the untamed wilds of 1970s Alaska, this gripping novel follows a family seeking a fresh start off the grid—but as winter closes in and isolation deepens, survival becomes more than just physical. Atmospheric, emotional, and intense.
🐙 A book written from the point of view of an animal:
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – A heartwarming and quietly profound novel narrated in part by Marcellus, a remarkably intelligent (and opinionated) octopus living in a small-town aquarium.
🏞️ Why Join?
- Discover new authors, genres, and formats
- Challenge yourself to read outside your comfort zone
- Share what you’re reading with the LUC community
- Win prizes!
Whether you’re reading by the lake, in a hammock, or curled up in your favorite chair, Camp Summer Reading Bingo is your invitation to make reading part of your summer adventure.
Let the reading (and the fun) begin!
