Summer Reading Program

Bright and colorful icons like a rainbox, books, balloon, paintbrushes surrounding Summer Reading Program text

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.

Track your reading online

If you have time for a quick question, let us know how did you hear about the summer reading program?

Downloads

Resources

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

Tuesday, July 1, 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...

Kids Families Storytimes

Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 1:00pm

Teen Center

All supplies will be provided to create a firework painting just in time for Independence Day.

Teens Arts & Crafting

Tuesday, July 1, 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! Mark Capron, recent inductee into...

Tweens Kids Families Arts & Crafting

Wednesday, July 2, 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...

Kids Families Storytimes

Wednesday, July 2, 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...

Tweens Kids Families Arts & Crafting

Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 1:00pm

Teen Center

Johnson County Ambulance will have qualified staff to cover ‘hands only’ CPR, AED instruction, stop the bleed, Narcan administration and an overview of the PulsePoint app. This will not result in certification. This program is a repeat of the June...

Teens Classes & Workshops Science & Technology

Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 2:30pm

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

Known for her vibrant paintings of landscapes, plants, and animals, Maud Lewis' iconic folk art is celebrated around the world. In addition to creating paintings for sale, Lewis also covered the inside of her 100-square-foot tiny home with...

Adults Teens Tweens Kids Families Arts & Crafting Book Discussion

Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 4:00pm

Storytime Room

Calling all science lovers in 3rd-6th grade! Every Wednesday from June 11 - July 16, join West High students Flora and Tina for hands-on activities about physics, the scientific study of matter and energy. Figure out how gravity works, experiment...

Tweens Science & Technology

Thursday, July 3, 2025 - 10:00am

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...

Tweens Kids Families Music

Thursday, July 3, 2025 - 1:00pm

Teen Center

Add some flair to your room or a community space. This simple build will allows you to showcase 3D objects to wow your friends.

Teens Science & Technology

Tuesday, July 1, 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...

Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 1:00pm

Teen Center

All supplies will be provided to create a firework painting just in time for Independence Day.

Tuesday, July 1, 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! Mark Capron, recent inductee into...

Wednesday, July 2, 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...

Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 1:00pm

Teen Center

Johnson County Ambulance will have qualified staff to cover ‘hands only’ CPR, AED instruction, stop the bleed, Narcan administration and an overview of the PulsePoint app. This will not result in certification. This program is a repeat of the June...

Wednesday, July 2, 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 2, 2025 - 2:30pm

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

Known for her vibrant paintings of landscapes, plants, and animals, Maud Lewis' iconic folk art is celebrated around the world. In addition to creating paintings for sale, Lewis also covered the inside of her 100-square-foot tiny home with...

Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 4:00pm

Storytime Room

Calling all science lovers in 3rd-6th grade! Every Wednesday from June 11 - July 16, join West High students Flora and Tina for hands-on activities about physics, the scientific study of matter and energy. Figure out how gravity works, experiment...

Thursday, July 3, 2025 - 10:00am

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 - 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...

There are no upcoming events.

There are no upcoming events.

There are no upcoming events.

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

Tuesday, July 29, 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 29, 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! Learn the basics of LEGO robotics...

Wednesday, July 30, 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...

Wednesday, July 30, 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 30, 2025 - 2:30pm

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

Create your own unique, colorful bouquet of local blooms when Kara Krapfl of Lovely Bunches Farm teaches us the thoughtful, meditative art of flower arranging. All Abilities Club programs are designed for those who are neurodivergent, or who...

Thursday, July 31, 2025 - 10:00am

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

This is a storytime, a dance class, and dress-up fun all in one! Dance Me a Story ties together ballet performances and the literature that inspires the choreography. Emily Kate from Ballet QC will read a story and explore and teach the dance...

Thursday, July 31, 2025 - 1:00pm

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

Come learn about some of Iowa's largest birds and even meet a couple! Joan and other volunteers from Raptology will bring some birds of prey and talk about their habitat, diet, size and any other questions you bring about owls, falcons,...

Friday, August 1, 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...