Summer Reading

Summer Reading is almost here – and it’s jam-packed with fun activities and giveaways throughout June and July!
Summer Reading Kickoff
Summer Reading kicks off Saturday, June 5 with registration opening at 9 am for our Cold Spring, Carrico/Fort Thomas and Newport Branches while Alexandria opens at 11 am.
Register at the library and you may go home with cool giveaways, while supplies last. Children will receive a backpack; teens will get a reusable water bottle complete with a built-in straw; and adults will score a flashlight pen.
Grab-and-go treat bags filled with snacks will also be available at noon at all branches.
Come out or tune in to the library’s YouTube channel for a variety of kick-off activities, including:
- Eating Gross Food Face-Off @ Cold Spring, 11 am. Register to attend in-person.
- Low Mess Finger Painting @ Newport, 1 pm. Register to attend in-person.
- Arrowhead Reptile Rescue @ Carrico/Fort Thomas, 3 pm. Register to attend in-person.
Facebook Event
Summer Reading
SUMMER READING STARTS SATURDAY, JUNE 5!
Crawl, slither, soar or dive into the library’s Summer Reading program. With the theme Wild About Books, this year is all about animals and habitats they call home.
There’s something for everyone in the family – from dreaming up a fantasy zoo to drive-in movies featuring everyone’s favorite hedgehog Sonic to creating animal shadow puppets and learning how to keep our oceans clean.
Track your reading with the Beanstack app or a paper log for the chance to win awesome prizes big and small. Register online or at your favorite branch, where you can pick up a log.
Register on Beanstack
Do you prefer online tracking over paper logs? Beanstack is a website and app that allows you to track your reading and earn Summer Reading prizes. You can register as an individual, family or classroom. Visit our Beanstack page to create your account and learn more.
Pre-registration is open!
Register on Beanstack
Read & Win
Children (Newborn – Age 11)
Receive a small prize and one entry for the grand prize for every 4 hours read across formats; books, audiobooks, comics, being read to and reading by yourself all count toward the goal.
The grand prize is a six-month subscription to KiwiCo (STEAM & science kits for kids). One grand prize will be given away per branch and one through Beanstack.
You can track and submit hours online through Beanstack or via paper reading logs at our branches.
Teens & Tweens (Ages 11 – 19)
How to Participate:
Read five hours to enter weekly drawings to score prizes. Read 30 hours to win a book and one entry for the grand prize – a Nintendo Switch Lite.
You can track and submit hours online through Beanstack or via paper reading logs at our branches.
There will be four winners each week for the weekly prize packs. There will be two winners for the midsummer prize and grand prize.
- Weekly Prize Themes
- June 6 – 12: Art
- June 13 -19: Anime
- June 20 – 26: Board and Card Games
- June 27 – July 3:Nerf Toys
- July 4 – 10: Funko Pop!
- July 11 – 17: #Trending and Music
- July 18 – 24: Self Care
- July 25 – 31: D&D and RPG Games
- Midsummer Prize
- Raycon Wireless Earbuds
- Grand Prize
- Nintendo Switch Lite
Adults
At the Library:
Receive an entry for weekly gift card drawings at each branch every time you check out. It’s that easy!
Online:
Four reading prompts per week will be posted on the Beanstack app. Finish one to earn an entry for the grand prize – a $100 Kroger gift card.
Programs
Start planning your summer at the library by browsing our upcoming programs below!
Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
Decorative Frames
Registration Required
Paper Quilting
Registration Required
Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
No Sew T-Shirt Bags
Registration Required
Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
Cozy Time for Babies
The Book Bus on Tour: Color-tastic Extravaganza
Virtual Author Talk: Rex Ogle- Illuminating Hope and Grace in the Face of Hardship (5th-8th Grade)
Neurodiverse Craft Club: Card and Board Games
Nail Art
Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
Baby Wigglers
Jolly Thursday: Honey Hill Farm Mobile Petting Zoo
Chair Yoga with Phoenix
Squirt Gun Painting
Registration Required
Floral Arrangements with Amber of Broken Oaks Farm
Registration Required
Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
Art After Hours: Adult Summer Reading Finale
Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
Alexandria Library Art Show
Summer Reading Finale: Cupcake Decorating
Teen Summer Reading Finale: Taste Test Challenge
Teen Summer Reading Finale: Art Heist Escape Room
Teen Summer Reading Finale: After Hours Mini Lock In
Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
Alexandria Library Art Show
Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
On the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains with Pria Anand
Virtual Science Talk: The Stories, Science and History of Birds with Jay Falk
Digital Connect: Newport Branch- For Ages 60+
Newport Book Club: 'Listen for the Lie' by Amy Tintera
Digital Connect: Newport Branch- For Ages 60+
Digital Connect: Newport Branch- For Ages 60+
Must Read Romance: YA Romance—Summer Vacation
Spotlight Series: 'Benefactors of Posterity: The Founding Era of the Filson Historical Society 1884-1899' with Daniel Gifford
Tween Book Club: School
Digital Connect: Fort Thomas Branch- For Ages 60+
Challenging Reads Book Club: 'Parable of the Sower' by Octavia Butler
Coffee & Conversation: 'The Six' by Loren Grush
Digital Connect: Fort Thomas Branch- For Ages 60+
Manga to Anime Club: Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui
Cup of Crime: 'Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers' by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Digital Connect: Fort Thomas Branch- For Ages 60+
Spotlight Series: History of Trains in Kentucky with Bob Hamilton of the La Grange Railroad Museum
Books and Brunch Book Club: 'The Kamogawa Food Detectives' by Hisashi Kashiwai
You've Been Booked: 'The Red Pyramid' by Rick Riordan
Tuesday Book Club: 'Velvet Was the Night' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Digital Connect: Alexandria Branch- For Ages 60+
Cam's Kids Book Club: 'Golden Gate- Building the Mighty Bridge' by Elizabeth Partridge
Digital Connect: Alexandria Branch- For Ages 60+
Board of Trustees Meeting
Virtual Author Talk: Casey McQuiston - Returning to Romance Through Food and Flirty Fun in Fiction
Homeschool Book to Movie Club: 'The Wild Robot' by Peter Brown
Digital Connect: Alexandria Branch- For Ages 60+
Spotlight Series: The Unknown Legend of the Cincinnati Strangler with J.T. Townsend
Digital Connect: Cold Spring Branch- For Ages 60+
Digital Connect: Cold Spring Branch- For Ages 60+
Virtual Author Talk: Organizational Psychologist Dr. Tash Eurich - 'How to Thrive in a World of Constant Chaos'
Digital Connect: Cold Spring Branch- For Ages 60+
Senior Planet: Into to Sleep Technologies
Newport Book Club: Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson
Bridges to Healthcare Careers
Virtual Author Talk with Hannah Nicole Maehrer: On Writing Darkly Charming Villainous Love
DIY Fidget Bracelets
Must Read Romance: Pirate Romance
Dungeons & Dragons
Northern Kentucky Health Department Mobile Unit
Uke Can Play the Ukulele
Design Your Own Puzzle
Minecraft Club
Homeschool Hangout: Giant Games
Youth First: state-wide initiative to support those 16-24 years of age in accessing employment opportunities
Ice Cream Spaghetti
DIY wood coasters
Rough Draft Collab Writer's Club
Take and Make: Spy Code Craft
Cozy Time for Babies
Baby Bounce and Rhyme
Northern Kentucky Health Department Mobile Unit
Virtual Author Talk: Jefferson Fisher- Argue Less and Talk More
Coffee & Conversation: 'Yellowface' by R.F. Kuang
Manga to Anime Club: 'The Seven Deadly Sins' by Nakaba Suzuki
Author Talk & Paint: "Tropetails"
Cup of Crime: 'The Woman in the Library' by Sulari Gentill
Baby Time with Melodies to Grow On
Baby Wigglers
Storytime with Urban Native Collective
Tween Book Club: Animal Main Character
Dungeons & Dragons for Teens
Puppy Tales
You've Been Booked: 'Two Degrees' by Alan Gratz
Monday Night Movie: A Minecraft Movie
Tuesday Bookclub: The Lion Women of Tehran
Homeschool Hive: A Rabbit is a Mammal
Homeschool Hive: Rabbit Families
Talking Tech Troubles: Streaming Services
Cam's Kids Book Club: 'Up, Up, Ever Up Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains by Anita Yasuda'
Light-Up Bookmarks
Challenging Reads Book Club: 'Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood
Cozy Time for Babies
Baby Bounce and Rhyme
Virtual Author Talk: Gabe Henry- Our failed Attempts to Make English Eezier to Spell
Bedazzled Craft
Board of Trustees Meeting
Baby Wigglers
Homeschool Book to Movie Club: 'Star Wars: A New Hope The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy' by Alexandra Bracken