Join Mike Schneider as he takes you on a musical, magical, and humorous journey around the world! Uncle Mike's music will have all ages singing, clapping, and dancing along to such polka-fied classics. But this program is so much more than just...
Summer Reading Program
Color our world this summer
May 27 - August 9, 2025
Stay busy this summer reading and attending events!
Available to readers of all ages and abilities, babies through adults. Participants will receive a gamecard to track their summer reading goals.
Prizes available starting Monday, June 9, 2025. Children's prizes include gift certificates for Blank Park Zoo and the Iowa Children's Museum as well as a free book! Adults and teens can get a coupon for a free book at The Book End bookstore and be entered into the grand prize drawings for a downtown gift card.
If you have time for a quick question, let us know how did you hear about the summer reading program?
Downloads
Resources
- Watch past programs on The Library Channel
- Learn how to log books with Beanstack's mobile app
Sponsors
A big thank you to the Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation for sponsoring the prizes!
Color your world!
Upcoming Events
All library patrons, regardless of age or neurodiversity can participate in our Summer Reading Programs. We will be happy to customize reading programs and activities to meet the individual needs of our patrons. Please contact Angela Pilkington for more information.
Upcoming events
Thursday, July 3, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Thursday, July 3, 2025 - 4:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Celebrate Disability Pride Month by learning about the life of Judith Scott, a renowned fiber sculptor who was Deaf and had Down Syndrome, then making a variety of fiber art pieces. We'll weave and wrap, cut and twist to create stunning art...
Monday, July 7, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Monday, July 7, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
Calling all puzzle lovers! If you love putting together puzzles in a more competitive way, this is for you. Get teamed up to compete for bragging rights and a cool prize- a puzzle!
Monday, July 7, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A
Every Monday in the summer we will be hosting games and activities! Join us today for LEGO Play! 暑期周一活动日：乐高
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Elementary-age kids are invited to join us each Tuesday at 1:00 to learn a little bit about a fun skill or hobby that maybe they haven’t tried before! We have experts from the community here to teach you the basics! Have you ever wanted to tell a...
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 3:00pm
Teen Center
What is bad can be good? Especially when it comes to art, beauty and talent may be subjective, but we’re purposely going for bad! We’ll share some prompts to get you going but you’ll ultimately be creating a true monsterpiece.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 7:00pm
Zoom
Book clubs come in all shapes and sizes. Groups that meet online (like Let's Talk Books) are all the rage, especially with celebrities. From Oprah's almost 30 year old book club, to Reese Witherspoon, Emma Watson, Sara Jessica Parker, or...
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Thursday, July 3, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Join Mike Schneider as he takes you on a musical, magical, and humorous journey around the world! Uncle Mike's music will have all ages singing, clapping, and dancing along to such polka-fied classics. But this program is so much more than just...
Thursday, July 3, 2025 - 4:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Celebrate Disability Pride Month by learning about the life of Judith Scott, a renowned fiber sculptor who was Deaf and had Down Syndrome, then making a variety of fiber art pieces. We'll weave and wrap, cut and twist to create stunning art...
Monday, July 7, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Monday, July 7, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
Calling all puzzle lovers! If you love putting together puzzles in a more competitive way, this is for you. Get teamed up to compete for bragging rights and a cool prize- a puzzle!
Monday, July 7, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A
Every Monday in the summer we will be hosting games and activities! Join us today for LEGO Play! 暑期周一活动日：乐高
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Elementary-age kids are invited to join us each Tuesday at 1:00 to learn a little bit about a fun skill or hobby that maybe they haven’t tried before! We have experts from the community here to teach you the basics! Have you ever wanted to tell a...
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 3:00pm
Teen Center
What is bad can be good? Especially when it comes to art, beauty and talent may be subjective, but we’re purposely going for bad! We’ll share some prompts to get you going but you’ll ultimately be creating a true monsterpiece.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 7:00pm
Zoom
Book clubs come in all shapes and sizes. Groups that meet online (like Let's Talk Books) are all the rage, especially with celebrities. From Oprah's almost 30 year old book club, to Reese Witherspoon, Emma Watson, Sara Jessica Parker, or...
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
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Wednesday, July 23, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Color our world, and celebrate diverse cultures from around the globe! Every Wednesday during our Summer Reading Program, elementary-age kids are invited to join us for a new event where they can explore and experience unique cultures and traditions...
Wednesday, July 23, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Get hands-on with exciting science experiments led by the UI Science Booster Club! All Abilities Club programs are designed for those who are neurodivergent, or who experience intellectual or developmental disabilities, offering an inclusive, lower-...
Thursday, July 24, 2025 - 10:00am
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Get up close and hands-on with a variety of exotic animals with Wild Times Exotics. Wild Times Exotics is a fully licensed and insured Zoo to You program visiting ICPL for the first time! Zoo expert Lacey offers a hands on approach to animal...
Thursday, July 24, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Get up close and hands-on with a variety of exotic animals with Wild Times Exotics. Wild Times Exotics is a fully licensed and insured Zoo to You program visiting ICPL for the first time! Zoo expert Lacey offers a hands on approach to animal...
Friday, July 25, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Friday, July 25, 2025 - 1:00pm
Storytime Room
Sonic, Knuckles and Tails reunite to battle Shadow, a mysterious new enemy with powers unlike anything they've faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, they seek out an unlikely alliance to stop Shadow and protect the planet...
Saturday, July 26, 2025 - 10:30am
Storytime Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Sunday, July 27, 2025 - 2:00pm
Storytime Room
Let's embrace the summer heat with a summertime cactus craft! Maybe you are taking a road trip this summer to a very hot place where the roads are lined with prickly pears or tall saguaros. Make your own road trip ready cactus from your own...
Monday, July 28, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Monday, July 28, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A
Every Monday in the summer we will be hosting games and activities! Join us today to test your Pokemon knowledge! 暑期周一活动日：宝可梦知识问答