Cedar Rapids Reads: Summer Reading Challenge
Celebrate the love of reading all summer long! Enjoy special events for all ages, earn reading badges, and visit the library for special rewards.
The 2025 Summer Reading Challenge is June 7-Aug. 2.
How to Participate:
Register in person or online and pick up your free Summer Reading kit at the library (beginning June 7).
Start reading and log your minutes.
When you reach 300 minutes, visit the library for a free book (for kids/teens) or coupon to the Friends of the Library Book Nook.
When you reach 600 minutes, claim a prize AND get an entry to grand prize drawings.
Keep reading! You can complete the challenge as many times as you want until Aug. 2. Each completion earns more prize drawing entries.
Find us at parks around the city from Monday, June 9 to Friday, Aug. 1 for books, games, fun, and a few surprises, too. Each stop will feature an all-ages story time at the start of the program, followed by activities, games, and giveaways with our Mobile Technology Lab.
Download your choice of reading log or pick up a paper copy at the library (beginning June 7).
Mega Readers
Build a bunch of Mega Readers this summer for your youth group, summer camp, or daycare!
Encourage daily reading and learning all summer to help kids build important literacy skills.
Story Time in the Parks
Find us at parks around the city from Monday, June 9 to Friday, Aug. 1 for books, games, fun, and a few surprises, too. Each stop will feature an all-ages story time at the start of the program, followed by a variety of activities, games, and giveaways with our Mobile Technology Lab.
Mondays, 11:30 am-1:30 pm, Jacolyn Park, 198 Jacolyn Dr. NW
Tuesdays, 9-11 am, Noelridge Park, 4600 Council St. NE
Wednesdays, 11:30 am-1:30 pm, Hidder Park, 1248 10th St. SE
Thursdays, 11:30 am-1:30 pm, Bever Park, 2700 Bever Ave. SE
Fridays, noon-1 pm, Redmond Park, 1545 Third Ave. SE (no visit July 4)
Fridays, 3-4 pm, Cleveland Park, 1600 Ninth Ave. SW (no visit July 4)
Register
Log and track your reading minutes on the Beanstack app.
Library Programs
We invite you to explore all our summer programs for all ages on our calendar or call (319) 261-7323.
Summer Reading Kick Off Party with Farm Friends
Celebrate the start of Summer Reading with barnyard animals! Meet animals from Hovick Farm's petting zoo, including a llama, an alpaca, a pot belly pig, a sheep, a miniature cow, a miniature donkey, and many more. Make buttons of your favorite farm animal, create a cute barnyard craft, and join us for story times at 10:30 and 11:30 am.
Saturday, June 7, 10 am-noon, Ladd Library
End of Summer Party
Say goodbye to summer with a carnival-themed party complete with circus performers, a tumbling room, face painting, crafts, carnival games, and popcorn.
Saturday, Aug. 2, 1-3 pm, Downtown Library
Special Summer Performances
Put Mondays at the library on your calendar this summer! The Summer Reading Challenge welcomes a slate of special performers for kids on Mondays in June and July, including:
- "Gincy Hartin: It's Cool to be Kind" on June 16
- "Mikayla Oz Magic Show" on June 23
- "Wilderman's Treetop Tales" with Chad Elliott on June 30
- "Sam Rezz Circus Variety Show" on July 7
- "Meet Reptiles with the Cold-Blooded Redhead" on July 14
- "Absolute Science: Laser Show" on July 21
- "Children's Musician Tom Pease" on July 28
Performances will be at 10-11 am and 1-2 pm at the Downtown Library and 3:30-4:30 pm at Ladd Library. All performances are first-come, first-serve; wrist bands will be handed out one hour prior to each performance.
Severe Weather
The Cedar Rapids Public Library values and prioritizes the safety of our patrons and staff. During extreme weather, outdoor outreach programs will be cancelled in accordance with Iowa Department of Public Health guidelines, including:
- Tornado or Severe Thunderstorm Warnings
- Heat Index above 100 degrees Fahrenheit
- Wind Chill below 10 degrees Fahrenheit
- Air Quality Index over 150
Outdoor outreach may also be cancelled at the discretion of the Library Director or library management.
All decisions will be made no later than 30 minutes before the start of an outdoor program. Cancellations will be communicated on the library’s social media channels and the online events calendar.
Reading Challenge Prizes
When you register, pick up a free "Libaries are for Everyone" tote.
At 300 minutes, stop in for your free book – kids and teens can pick out a new book, and adults get a coupon for a free book from the Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library.
When you complete 600 minutes, pick out a unique prize, created right here in our Maker Spaces.
Choose from the following:
- Bookmark with flowers and the library logo
- Bottle opener engraved with a book quote
- Wooden coasters
- 3-D printed pig, axolotl, or balloon dog
- Frog or unicorn bookmark
- Shaker egg
- Scarf
- Mini Play-Doh
Prize choices are subject to change and are available while supplies last.
Grand Prizes
Each time you reach 600 minutes of reading in the Summer Reading Challenge, you earn tickets for our grand prize drawing!
We have three prizes for each of the following age groups:
- Birth - Kindergarten (Ages 0-6): Learning toy
- School Age (Ages 7-12): Lego set
- Teen (Ages 13-18): $50 gift card
- Adult (Ages 19+): Custom engraved water bottle
These Owala water bottles, which we engraved in our Maker Spaces with our "Libraries are for Everyone" graphic, are completely unique - we only made three, which we will give away at the end of summer!
