2025 SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM
Begins June 9!
SUMMER Reading Challenges
Sign up today. Challenges run June 9-Aug 29.
READY to READ?! And yes, audiobooks count! Use Beanstack to easily maintain your reading records. Access it online via our website, or download the app. Log books you read to earn digital badges and prizes, and adults earn automatic entries into a drawing for $100 in Chamber Bucks.
Parents: If you read one book to all your kids, just scan the barcode (or enter the title) ONCE—no maintaining multiple paper reading logs!
Lots of folks like to keep an ongoing record of books they read; that’s easy, too. Stop at the Help Desk for assistance getting started with anything Beanstack!
Don’t want to go digital? Paper reading logs are available—just ask!
Read to Me (Ages 0-5)
Earn a reading badge & PRIZE for every five books. Read 50 books to complete the challenge.
Read on My Own (Ages 6-11)
Earn a reading badge & PRIZE for every two books. Read 20 books to complete the challenge.
Teens (Ages 12-17)
Earn reading badges & PRIZES like backpacks, water bottles, art supplies & books! Read five books to complete the challenge.
Adults (Ages 18+)
Receive a prize for reading two books. Read up to 20 to automatically earn entries into the drawing for $100 in Chamber Bucks—the more you read, the better your odds!
New Dramatic Play Center
Opens June 9.
BOOM! SPLAT! A COLOR EXPLOSION as paint spills from the sky. Build, tilt and roll with tubes, ramps and balls as you engineer epic chain reactions. Configure art only YOU can imagine upon the giant flannel board. Search, spot and solve a brand-new I SPY puzzle every week.
Use your whole body and PLAY all summer long!
families on the go
Families with STEAM To Go • New packs monthly
Team up to tackle projects that incorporate science, technology, engineering, art and math. Geared for families with school-age children. One pack per family per month while supplies last. No library card required.
Sponsored by NextEra Energy.
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- June 2: Rubber Band Helicopters
- July 1: Evaporation Art
- August 1: Paper Tops
Story Time To Go • New packs June 16, June 30 & Aug 4
Packs contain books, music suggestions, finger plays, art, and math & science activities that bolster those five vital early literacy practices: read, sing, talk, play & write!
For ages 0-6. Pick up while supplies last. Library card required to check out accompanying books.
Youth Art To Go (ages 6-11) • New packs out Mondays, June 16-Aug 18
Supplies to create art like optical illusions, polymer tangle beads & rainbow collages inspired by artist Alma Thomas.
Geared for school-age children (6ish-11ish). No library card required.
June 16: Alma Thomas Rainbow Collage
June 23: Art with Three Lines
June 30: Van Gogh Inspired Art
July 7: Picasso Portrait
July 14: Wax Resist Rubbing
July 21: Alexander Calder Sculpture
July 28: Optical Illusion Art
Aug 4: Paper Bead Wall Hanging
Aug 11: Rainbow Yarn Art
Aug 18: Polymer Tangle Beads
Teen Art To Go (Ages 12-18) • New Packs out Mondays, June 16-Aug 18
Terrific art projects like felt succulents, puffy paper clip toppers & watercolor geodes.
Pick up while supplies last. No library card required.
June 16: Felt Succulents
June 23: Butterfly Art
June 30: Paper Clip Toppers
July 7: Watercolor Geodes
July 14: Paper Mache Critters
July 21: Shrinky Dink Keychains
July 28: Mosaics
Aug 4: Dreamcatchers
Aug 11: Felt Pouches
Aug 18: 3D Art
Youth Programs
StoryWalks® • all summer long!
Outdoor storybooks! Read I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont along the lovely library path & revel in Nature is an Artist by Jennifer Lavallee at Zander Park (1406 Parkway Blvd).
Family Game Night • Mondays, 6:00-7:30 PM
Bring the family or meet up with friends for our weekly game night. All your favorites are here: Battleship, Chutes & Ladders, Old Maid and Go Fish, and lots more. Bring drinks and we’ll serve the popcorn. Pick a spot anywhere in the library to play—and make Mondays something to look forward to!
Summer Babygarten
Wednesdays, July 9-Aug 6* • 6:15 PM or
Thursdays, July 10-Aug 7 • 10:15 AM
For babies 0-18 months & caregivers. Share nursery rhymes, songs, books & projects. Plus, free time for play! Call to register.
*No evening class July 30.
Story Time • Tuesdays, 10:15 AM - June 10-Aug 19*
Stories, movement & learning! Geared for preschoolers but children of all ages welcome. Afterward, stay for process art & other hands-on activities.
*No Story Time July 1.
TReasure Quest: June 16-Aug 29
A whole new summer conundrum. Follow clues. Solve puzzles. Unravel secrets. Your Mission: Save The Day! You & your compadres will receive a succession of six puzzle packets (assuming you have What It Takes to progress) that require visits to various spots around Our Fair City.
Pick up your first packet at the library’s front desk. The citizens are counting on you.
Forces, Motion & Air • Wednesday, June 18 • 3:00-5:00 PM
STEAM in Action
w/ TRHS STEAMpunk First Robotics Team #4531
Geared for school-age children (younger with a grownup). No registration required.
Up•down•push•pull! Experiment with the science of motion. Explore how gravity, air & force affect the way things move. And learn how objects can fly with hands-on activities & real-world examples!
Tom Pease • Wednesday, June 25 • 2:00 PM
Dance, sing, LAUGH: Tom Pease entertains on the library lawn. Fun for all ages!
Creative Roots • Wednesday, July 9 • 2:00-4:00 PM
The magic of trees! Make seed necklaces & nature journals. Shadow art! We’ll go inside if it rains. For all ages.
A Wisconsin DNR Urban Forestry program.
Art & Design • Wednesday, July 16 • 3:00-5:00 PM
STEAM in Action
w/ TRHS STEAMpunk First Robotics Team #4531
Geared for school-age children (younger with a grownup). No registration required.
Science meets colorful creativity! Discover how motion, pattern & color come together through hands-on projects. Explore the beauty of symmetry, spirals & surprising science-inspired art.
Nature is an Artist @ Zander Park • Wednesday, July 30 • 2:00-4:00 PM
A new StoryWalk® selection: Nature is an Artist by Jennifer Lavallee. Nature prints. MUD! Plus, paint alongside Senior Center members to turn rocks into a BIG OL’ SNAKE! Gonna be one fun MESS.
Brat Fry • Wednesday, Aug 6 • Noon-3:00 PM
Brats, burgers, ‘dogs & drinks. We deliver to businesses and city departments, too! Proceeds help build community health & early literacy.
Art Splash • Wednesday, Aug 6 • 1:30-3:30 PM
The MESSIEST, most COLORFUL fun of summer: BIG painting & FOAM! Bring towels. Swimsuits and goggles A-OK. Prep for the extreme fun by filling bellies at the BRAT FRY. Art Splashers can’t go inside the library once the MESSY begins—so plan accordingly.
Sound & Water • Wednesday, Aug 13 • 3:00-5:00 PM
STEAM in Action
w/ TRHS STEAMpunk First Robotics Team #4531
Geared for school-age children (younger with a grownup). No registration required.
Dive into the wonders of water & sound! Experiment with waves, pressure & movement using simple materials. See how water reacts to sound & motion—and uncover the science behind splashes, swirls & vibrations.
Movers & Shakers • Wednesdays, Aug 13-Sept 17 • 10:15 AM & 6:15 PM
For children 18 months-3 years & caregivers. Toddlers need to MOVE to learn! Active storytelling, engaging play & music.
Call 920.793.8888 to register
teen programs
Teen Art To Go (Ages 12-18) - New Packs out mondays, June 16-Aug 18
Terrific art projects like felt succulents, puffy paper clip toppers & watercolor geodes.
Pick up while supplies last. No library card required.
June 16: Felt Succulents
June 23: Butterfly Art
June 30: Paper Clip Toppers
July 7: Watercolor Geodes
July 14: Paper Mache Critters
July 21: Shrinky Dink Keychains
July 28: Mosaics
Aug 4: Dreamcatchers
Aug 11: Felt Pouches
Aug 18: 3D Art
TReasure Quest: June 16-Aug 29!
A whole new summer conundrum. Follow clues. Solve puzzles. Unravel secrets. Your Mission: Save The Day! You & your compadres will receive a succession of six puzzle packets (assuming you have What It Takes to progress) that require visits to various spots around Our Fair City.
Pick up your first packet at the library’s front desk. The citizens are counting on you.
NEW Teen Anime Club • Thursday, June 12 • 2:00-4:00 PM • Grades 6-12
Anime & manga fans: Watch anime, talk about favorite series, do creative projects—& SNACK of course! Action, romance, slice-of-life…there’s something for everyone. Collaborate to choose a regular meeting time & what to watch next.
Wander Squad • Tuesday, June 24 • 6:00-8:30 PM • Grades 6-12
Time to hit the trail! Start at the library to zazzle water bottle holders & hiking sticks. Then step out for a hike along the lake with a stop at McDonald’s for cones—because adventure should ALWAYS end with ice cream. Call 920.793.8888 to register.
Garden Party • Tuesday, July 29 • 6:00-8:30 PM • Grades 6-12
Make mosaic pots perfect for a sweet succulent, or bedazzle a birdhouse. Sip bubble tea to gear up for lively hide-and-seek with a garden-y twist. Call 920.793.8888 to register.
Foam Fest • Tuesday, Aug 12 • 6:00-8:30 PM • Grades 6-12
High-energy music, tons of foam & all the summer vibes. Refreshing drinks, party treats & non-stop dancing under a mountain of bubbles. Bring towels and dress for MESS (swimsuits OK). Just add water, plus your crew & best moves. It’s gonna be a blast! Call 920.793.8888 to register.
Book Discussion Group (18+) • 1st Wednesday of the month ● 4:00 PM
Meet to discuss great books the first Wednesday of each month. Selections include both fiction and nonfiction. New members always welcome!
June 4: Sisters of Mokama by Jyoti Thottam
The inspiring true story of six intrepid Kentucky nuns who, in 1947, opened a hospital in the poorest state in India, and began taking in young Indian women as nursing students. The author’s mother was part of that extraordinary group of students—in a time when few women dared to leave their house without the protection of a man.
July 2: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
In 1972, after a skeleton is unearthed in the small, close-knit community of Chicken Hill, Pennsylvania, an unforgettable cast of characters desperately protects a secret. Tensions rise as the truth about the town’s past is uncovered, revealing the complicity of its white, Christian establishment in the events that transpired.
August 6: The Naked Neanderthal by Ludovic Slimak
An enlightening archaeological investigation from the Arctic Circle to deep Mediterranean forests. Renowned paleoanthropologist Slimak sifts through every detail left behind by Neanderthals, and deciphers their stories that reveal they had their own history, rituals and customs. And their own intelligence—very different from ours.
Strictly Fiction (18+) • 1st Monday of the Month ● 6:30 PM
Meet to discuss books of different genres on the first Monday of each month. New members always welcome!
June 2: One For the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker (western)
The Bemis and Webber families have relied on each other for survival since they first settled on the Wyoming frontier. But after finding his wife Cora in a compromising situation with Substance Webber, Ernest Bemis kills the man and is sent to prison. As brutal winter approaches, Nettie Mae Webber and Cora must work together to raise their children and work the land.
July 7: The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler (science fiction)
Along with a battle-scarred security agent and the world’s first android, marine biologist Ha Nguyen is tasked with studying a newly discovered species of highly intelligent octopuses that may
have developed their own language and culture. As Nguyen struggles to communicate with the creatures, governments and corporations scheme to seize the octopuses for themselves.
August 4: Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton (historical fiction)
In 1958, Elisa is a 19-year-old member of Cuba’s high society who has a secret affair with a revolutionary. In 2017, Marisol is a freelance writer who travels to Havana to scatter her
grandmother Elisa’s ashes. Marisol must confront the contrast between Cuba’s beauty and its political climate as she uncovers her family’s history.
Book to Art club (18+) • 4th Saturday every other month ● 11:00 AM
About the club: Read a book and create art it inspires. Meet to share impressions of the written work, show your art and describe your creative process. New members always welcome!
June 28: The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel (fiction)
Bakery owner Hope McKenna-Smith, a divorced mother to a surly preteen daughter, is unexpectedly called upon by her aging grandmother. With a long-hidden secret to reveal, her grandmother sends Hope on a life-altering journey across the globe—one that will change everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.
August 23: The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-year-old Man by Jonas Jonasson (fiction)
It all begins with a hot-air balloon trip and three bottles of champagne. But the ride results in a diplomatic crisis of epic proportions when 100-year-old Allan Karlsson and his sidekick Julius land in the sea and are rescued by a ship harboring contraband uranium on a mission for Kim Jong-un.
LPL Flix (18+) • 1st Friday of the Month ● 1:00 PM
Watch a recently released feature film on our big screen. Bring a beverage and we’ll furnish the popcorn.
International Films (18+) • 3rd Tuesday of the Month ● 6:00 PM
Enjoy award-winning films from other cultures. Bring a beverage; we’ll furnish the popcorn.
June 17: Slow
July 15: Afire
Aug 19: The Teachers’ Lounge
Bilingual Language Classes (18+) • Wednesdays through July 30 • 6:00-7:30 PM
Spanish and English speakers: learn or improve skills in the other language! Instruction based on the sandwich technique of pronunciation, conversation & grammar.
No registration. Presented by Woods Outreach.
Bug Out • Saturday, June 21 • 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Make cute & colorful bugs with plastic spoons.
Registration required; call 920.793.8888 or stop by the Help Desk. For adults & children 8+ with an adult.
Resin-ating Jewelry • Saturday, July 19 • Sessions start at 10:20 AM
Sign up for a 20-minute time slot to make a UV resin pendant. Molds, bezels, resin, colors, add-ins & UV light provided. Please furnish your own chain or cord.
Registration required; call 920.793.8888 or stop by the Help Desk. For ages 16+.
Tiny Wild: Foraged Friends • Saturday, Aug 16 • 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Use pinecones, acorn caps, leaves, wooden beads & other natural materials to create cute critters for bookshelf display.
Registration required; call 920.793.8888. Ages 18+