Summer Reading 2025
June 7 – August 9, 2025
Summer Reading Kickoff Party
Saturday, June 7, 10:00 am – noon
Everyone welcome!
We’re starting a summer of color with three aspects of this year’s theme: art, upcycle, and ecology!
- Create your own plantable seed paper from recycled scraps!
- Add your mark to our community art: splatter paint on canvas to create our summer-long selfie backdrop!
- And don’t forget to register for the Color our World Summer Reading Challenge; we’ve got something for everyone this summer!
Summer Reading Challenges
Zero to Three: Read to Me!
Ages 0-3
Complete fun, simple activities with your little one! For every 10 days (up to 30) marked off, your little one will receive a small prize.
READ by Number
Ages 4-10
Read for 20 minutes a day, and earn a prize at 10, 20, and 30 days! You don’t have to read every day, or all in a row: keep track with your color-by-number logging sheet!
Summer Vibin’
Ages 10-17
Earn raffle tickets for every three hours you read and attend library programs. Plus, logging 12 hours means an invitation to a teens-only party at the end of the summer!
Colorful Summer
Ages 18+
Bring color to your world with our adult summer reading challenge! Read for 20 minutes on 18 or 36 days out of the summer, and earn prizes for both milestones!
Katherine Applegate National Color Our World Writing Contest
Writers ages 8-12 are invited to enter this nationwide contest!
Entry Dates: June 1st through July 31st.
WRITING PROMPT
Your writing can change and color our world! Write a short story between 1,000 – 1,500 words about a character that takes an action that changes someone else’s day for the better. The action can be as small or grand as you’d like — even small acts can make a big difference!
Your story must have a catchy title, a protagonist who takes an action to make a change, and a beginning, middle, and end.
Click HERE for more information.
Planning to enter? You can sign up for a coaching slot with local author (and PCL staff member) Ms. Timmian before you submit your story!
Limited seating; registration required.
Featured Events
For all events and details, please visit our Events Calendar!
Make a Felted Bookmark
Wed. June 11, 6:30 pm
Ages 10-Adult
Holly Jensen will lead us in needle felting techniques to make a bookmark. Please note that the needles used are very sharp.
Downstairs, Community Room.
Limited seating; registration required.
Dads and Donuts
Sat. June 14, 10:30 am
Ages 0-8
Enjoy donuts, stories, a craft, and fun with your favorite person.
Downstairs, Community Room.
Magic Show with Alan Kazam
Tues. July 15, 2:00 pm
Ages 0-Adult
Local magician Alan Kazam is back by popular demand!
Downstairs, Community Room.
Children 5 and under must attend with an adult.
Colorful Summer Painting Event
Wed. July 16 OR Tues. July 22, 6:00 pm
Ages 15-Adult
Maryanne Reusch will lead us in painting with acrylics on canvas.
Downstairs, Community Room.
Limited seating; $10 paid registration required.
Life-Size Jumanji
Fri. July 18, 6:00 pm
Ages 10-16
Enjoy this classic game with a new twist – players are the pieces! Be the first to reach the gem of Jumanji while avoiding the jungle dangers in the way.
Downstairs, Community Room.
Limited seating; registration required.
This event is for registered tweens and teens only. Parents/guardians, please be back to pick up your tween/teen by 8:15 pm.
Yum’s the Word: Colorful Local Foods
Thurs. Aug. 7, 6:30 pm
Ages 18+
Join Chef Channon Mondoux for an exploration of local foods that Color Our World. Some of them
may be hiding in your backyard!
Downstairs, Community Room.
Limited seating; $10 paid registration required.
And don’t miss…
Storytime in the Park
Wednesdays at 10:30 am
Beginning June 11
Designed for preschoolers, but all children are welcome!
Grab a blanket and join Mrs. B in the park behind the Library for color-filled stories, songs, and fun! In case of inclement weather, storytime will be held downstairs in the Library.
Kindleberger Park, weather permitting.
T(w)een Game Nights
Tuesdays at 5:30 pm
June 10, June 24, July 8, July 29
Ages 10-16
Join Ms. Saige for board games collaborative, creative, and challenging:
June 10: I Dissent! – Stand your ground and debate!
June 24: CodeNames – Be the first to signal the secret agent to your team!
July 8: JackBox – Be creative, be clever – and laugh the whole night through!
July 29: Dixit – Illustrations, distractions, moods, and wit!
Downstairs, Community Room.
ArtSparks
Thursdays at 10:30 am
June 19, June 26, July 10, July 17
Ages 5-10
Children will be treated to a mini Art History lesson about a famous artist and then have the opportunity to create their own piece of art. This program features the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts on June 19 & July 17.
Downstairs, Community Room.
Book Tastings
Books come in all shapes, sizes, and colors! Join Library staff for bite-sized tastes of a variety of stories this summer, plus fun for each age range!
Book Bites, Jr (Ages 5-10)
Fri. June 20, June 27, July 11, July 18 at 11:00 am
Mrs. B. and other Library staff will read aloud “bites” of books that you may want to read. Digest the “bites” with fun literacy activities!
Story Sampler: House Pairings (Ages 10-14)
Fri. June 20, June 27, July 11 at 11:00 am
Ms. Timmian will read first chapters from tween books that have something in common with the Parchment schools’ house emblems. You can decide whether you want to check them out and finish them!
Book Bites (Ages 14-18)
Thurs. June 12, June 28, July 17, July 31, Aug. 7 at 3:00 pm
Snacks, Ms. Saige, and stories read aloud – what more do you need? Listen to the first chapter of a book, then decide if you’d like to read more or stick with “just a bite.”
Story Sips (Ages 18+)
Thurs. June 12, June 28, July 17, July 31 at 6:30 pm
Enjoy a thematic mocktail while listening to Director Jennie read the first chapter of a book. We’ll have similar books to check out, or you can bring your own book to read quietly and enjoy a summer evening with bookish friends!