Summer Reading Program 2026
Bury the Boredom, Dig Up a Story, and Plant the Seeds!
The Stories
Simon’s stories for the SRP are designed for young people (7-13 years) AND their care providers. Sneaky humour grabs the attention of both the kids and adults, keeping all involved
Supports literature with no tie-ins to movies or tv shows - just stories and a whole lot of imagination to dig into!
Low tech - low stress - Simon comes with a small sound system, and only needs a corner of a room to work his craft. He shows up with all he needs!
Easy to host, hard to forget!
Simon can tell folk and fairy tales for iRead which use seeds, planting, and farming as their tropes. Within the stories that Simon will share, there will be farmers who bargain and battle with boggarts; Anansi will trick people with a talking melon, or his Hat Shaking Dance; Toad, Rooster and Grasshopper reestablish a farm, and sadly fall out; and of course there will be one of Simon’s signature stories: The Goat from the Hills & the Mountains
For the Collaborative Summer Reading Program Simon can find stories everywhere which are waiting to be unearthed. There might not be dinosaurs, but there will be monsters, trolls, and giants a plenty. We will not just be unearthing stories, but we will be unearthing greed, wits, courage and patience, and maybe a bit of love, too. Digging wells, giants creating hills, Ulysses and Cyclops, giants defeating sea monsters on the South Coast of Wales all have a chance of being heard
Or he will simply tell darn good stories for your patrons pleasure if you have had enough of digging and planting!
The Performer
Simon Brooks is a full-time performance storyteller, who has spent the last 20+ years traveling to libraries, and communities all over North America
He tells award-winning folk tales with modern humor, heart, and a slightly irreverent style
Highlights include:
Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival 2022
Multiple recordings earned Parent’s Choice Awards
Performs and teaches at major storytelling festivals, schools, libraries, camps, colleges, pubs, businesses, and community events nationwide
Simon telling stories at the Hans Christian Andersen Statue, Central Park, NYC.
The Shows
Simon’s work is known for being humorous, capturing the attention of the whole audience. He also plays the bodhrán (Irish drum) and - sort of - a penny whistle. His stories are accessible to all ages, and contain sneaky edumacation, and, of course, imagination, encouraging people to find and tell these stories themselves.
Pricing
Single Program – $500.* Perfect for a single featured Summer Reading Program, or a standalone family program
Two Programs, Same Day (within the same system) – $799.* Great for serving two branches (or two libraries close by, but not too close to one another) in a day
Discounted multi-performance packages available
*Travel fees will be applied unless bundled in for multiple bookings.