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.

Track your reading online

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

Resources

Sponsors

A big thank you to the Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation for sponsoring the prizes!

Come read with us!

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

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 - 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

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

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 - 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...

Tweens Arts & Crafting Current Issues

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...

Tweens Kids Families Arts & Crafting

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 4:00pm

Storytime Room

Calling all science lovers in 3rd-6th grade! Every Tuesday from June 10 - July 22, 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 with...

Tweens Science & Technology

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...

Adults Book Discussion

Wednesday, July 9, 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

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 - 2:30pm

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

Casey leads ukulele music, singing, instruments, and movement. All Abilities Club programs are designed for those who are neurodivergent, or who experience intellectual or developmental disabilities, offering an inclusive, lower-stimulation, and...

Adults Teens Tweens Kids Music

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...

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...

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...

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 - 4:00pm

Storytime Room

Calling all science lovers in 3rd-6th grade! Every Tuesday from June 10 - July 22, 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 with...

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 - 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 9, 2025 - 2:30pm

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

Casey leads ukulele music, singing, instruments, and movement. All Abilities Club programs are designed for those who are neurodivergent, or who experience intellectual or developmental disabilities, offering an inclusive, lower-stimulation, and...

There are no upcoming events.

There are no upcoming events.

Tuesday, July 22, 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 a few easy stitches that...

Tuesday, July 22, 2025 - 4:00pm

Storytime Room

Calling all science lovers in 3rd-6th grade! Every Tuesday from June 10 - July 22, 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 with...

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...

Thursday, July 24, 2025 - 4:00pm

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

Go head-to-head against other tweens in a pub quiz style sports trivia challenge! Between rounds, engage in movement-based brain breaks incorporating everything from yoga to the giant parachute.

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 - 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...

Tuesday, August 5, 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! For our last How-To Tuesday of...

Wednesday, August 6, 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, August 6, 2025 - 2:30pm

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

We’ll start with a dance party, including following along to “Just Dance” choreography on the big screen; then shift gears way down with some relaxing, sensory craft stations, including play-doh, coloring, and scratch art. All Abilities Club...