Summer reading adventure: Stroll through Panama City a page at a time at StoryWalk Downtown

PANAMA CITY — Take a stroll along Harrison Avenue with your family this summer and you can enjoy the leisure of visiting local businesses and reading summer books — one page at a time.

The Bay County Public Library has partnered with downtown Panama City businesses to create StoryWalk Downtown, which is an innovative way for individuals of all ages to enjoy the outdoors and reading at the same time.

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During the summer months, pages from an ocean-themed storybook will be displayed across businesses along Harrison Avenue. The theme ties into the Northwest Regional Library System summer reading theme of “Oceans of Possibilities.”

“All of our summer programs have something to do with oceans, and each summer, the theme changes,” said Sarah Burris, marketing coordinator for the Bay County Public Library. “The theme, in general, is a nationwide umbrella for libraries, but our programs are individual and unique to our libraries.”

The StoryWalk Project was created in 2007 by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. According to Kellogg-Hubbard library’s site, Ferguson’s goal was to initiate an activity that would keep families moving, knowing that physical activity is a key component of good health. StoryWalk programs now take place in all 50 states and 13 countries, including Germany, Canada, England, Bermuda, Russia, Malaysia, Pakistan and South Korea.

StoryWalk Downtown is planned through August, with a possibility of more titles in later months, Burris said. Each book featured this summer includes a children’s picture book, located on the windows of participating businesses to be on view 24/7.

Three books are featured in this year’s StoryWalk Downtown:

• June: “Captain Jack and the Pirates” by Peter Bently

• July: “A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea” by Jessica Law

• August: “Nugget and Fang” by Tammi Sauer

“We’ve done similar outreach summer programs at local libraries in the past, but this is the first time we’ve done it downtown,” Burris said. “I think it's a brilliant way of using our community landscape, and it really is a fun way to read with family, get outside and visit the downtown businesses.”

The pages are posted in order with arrows pointing to the next business and page of the book, starting at History Class Brewing Company and ending at Tom's Hot Dogs. The StoryWalk Downtown route includes book pages displayed at 16 downtown businesses:

• History Class Brewing Company, 6 E. Fourth St.

• Sage Style and Gift, 314 Harrison Ave.

• The Light Room, 306 Harrison Ave.

• Millies Café, 226 Harrison Ave.

• Hue Salon and Boutique, 231 Harrison Ave.

• Lil’ Rascals, 415 Harrison Ave.

• The Place Downtown, 429 Harrison Ave.

• The Little Mustard Seed, 437 Harrison Ave.

• House of Henry, 461 Harrison Ave.

• Main Street Antiques, 535 Harrison Ave.

• WILDgrace, 456 Harrison Ave.

• Board & Brush, 452 Harrison Ave.

• Jute & Palm, 448 Harrison Ave.

• Accents Home Décor, 428 Harrison Ave.

• Baywitch, 424 Harrison Ave.

• Tom’s Hot Dogs, 416 Harrison Ave.

For more information about the Bay County Public Library, visit www.nwrls.com or call 850-522-2100.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Stroll Downtown Panama City for a unique StoryWalk adventure