Your kid's summer camp may be super-cool. It might have a room full of musical instruments, a shiny new playground or even a 30-foot-tall waterslide. But does it have a giant squid you can play on while listening to books? What about a 17-foot-long submarine in which to create seafaring adventures? Yeah, we thought not.

Welcome to Literary Lots, a free three-week program in Ohio City that transforms underutilized lots into literary landscapes. Last year, the nonprofit startup transformed the park next to the Carnegie West public library into a set inspired by "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." This year, the same park will be filled with sea creatures inspired by "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Families will find a great deal to love here, including daily story hours, afternoon literary programs for youth, hands-on art activities and evening programs for kids and adults.

"It's the whole idea of bringing books outside," says founder Kauser Razvi, a consultant who lives in Ohio City with her two children. Razvi launched the grassroots program last summer in conjunction with the Cleveland Public Library and other nonprofit partners. "Literary Lots is unique in that it provides an environment for families to learn and explore books together in a different way. We want to bring people together and celebrate the inspiration books provide us."

Literary Lots is not an actual camp, of course, but rather a free drop-in program that seeks to engage kids from diverse backgrounds in reading and literature by making it fun. The goal is also to build community and activate an underutilized urban park. Last year, more than 1,000 children and parents visited the lot.

Families are invited to hang out daily from 10 a.m. into the evening hours (a schedule is posted online). The lot, adjacent to Carnegie West, is located at Bridge and Fulton avenues. The official opening takes place on Saturday, July 19th, and the program runs through Sunday, August 10th.

Some of this year’s highlights include afternoon workshops with Lake Erie Ink and Art House, a poetry open mic and a storytelling workshop and performance.

Razvi stresses that this is a bootstrapped program that needs support to be successful. Last year, she launched a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised well over $5,000. This year she aims to raise $7,500. The rewards are pretty sweet, including a silk-screened poster, t-shirt, naming rights to the coral maze, and, for big ticket donors, an invitation to the preview party.

"I've always been a library lover; I love books and stories," says Razvi. "After last year, I said, 'I don’t know if I can do it again.' Then my son said, 'Mom, I know it’s a lot of hard work, but it’s really great and everyone loves it. See how happy people are when they come? It’s so interesting how they make it.' I figured I must have done something right to elicit that response from an eight-year-old boy."