It’s a well-known secret among Seattleites to save the summer for exploring close to home. For a fun and educational outing that gets you and the kids moving, start in Magnolia. 

Beginning July 5, Magnolia is kicking off StoryWalks. Families can read picture books by Indigenous authors while walking along scenic trails. The four StoryWalks books, chosen by Daybreak Star Preschool teachers, are part of Washington state’s Since Time Immemorial curriculum, designed to foster understanding and respect for Indigenous communities.

Swing by the Magnolia Branch for some summer reading and walking.

Photo courtesy of The Seattle Public Library

Mai Takahashi, the children’s librarian at Magnolia Branch, is excited for this summer tradition. “This is our fourth year of StoryWalks in Magnolia with Daybreak Star Preschool,” she says. “I am so grateful to the teachers and excited that Magnolia as a community gets to learn more about Indigenous culture and traditions.”

Here’s how it works: StoryWalks will be set up at Daybreak Star Preschool, Magnolia Farmers’ Market, The Seattle Public Library’s Magnolia Branch, and Discovery Park Visitor Center. The books will rotate between these spots every two weeks until Aug. 30.

To get started, grab a StoryWalk booklet at the Magnolia Branch, the Farmers’ Market, or the Discovery Park Visitor Center. The booklets include a map, a “passport” to check off each location, and questions to spark conversations. Complete your passport by Aug. 24 to enter a prize draw for goodies from all four locations.

StoryWalks began in 2007 in Montpelier, Vt., when retired resident Anne Ferguson collaborated with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition and the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. The idea was to take the pages from a children’s book, mount them on stakes, and place them along a path so families could read and enjoy a story as they walked. Since then, StoryWalks has spread across the United States and internationally.