Summer Reading Program officially kicks off June 1, and continues through July 25! Read on to learn more about reading challenges, events, and programs for children, teens and adults.

• Jump to Youth Summer Reading Program (ages 0 to 9)

• Jump to Teen Summer Reading Program (ages 10-18)

• Jump to Adult Summer Reading Program (ages 18+)

Youth Summer Reading Program

Reading Challenge! (June 1-July 25)

Read to earn prizes! We offer two challenges, one for preschool and one for school-aged children:

Pre-K (ages 2-4): Stop by the front desk to pick up a challenge sheet and adopt your own dino “reading buddy.” Complete 5 of 7 activities on the sheet with your buddy to earn a new book and a family pass to our End-of-Summer Pool Party!

School-Aged (ages 5-10): Pick up a reading log each week, read 100 minutes, and return it to win a small prize. Each completed reading log will be entered into a drawing for GRAND PRIZES! If you complete 800 minutes, you can earn up to eight entries!

Weekly prizes include a choice of stickers, fidgets, erasers, school supplies, restaurant coupons, and new books. Everyone who completes the challenge wins a family pass to our End-of-Summer Pool Party on Saturday, July 25, 6-8 PM, at Newton Municipal Pool.

GRAND PRIZES include a LEGO set, STEAM activity kits, a coupon to Back Alley Pizza, and family passes to the Kansas State Fair!

Registration begins May 18. Reading logs and challenge sheets available starting June 1.

Summer Reading Kick-Off: “Dinosaur Chalk Fest!”

Saturday, May 30, 10-11:30 a.m., Athletic Park at 5th Street & Park Place (ages 2-10). Dino-themed story walk, chalk art, fossil dig, and more! Expect a mess! Fire truck arrives at 11 AM to “clean up.”

Weekly Events for Children!

Open to children who have completed grades K-4. Register online for June activities staring May 18 at 8 a.m. Register online for July activities starting June 15 at 8 a.m.

Make-Your-Own Mondays

June 15: Pasta Paleontology Art (grades K-4), 1:30 or 3 p.m. Create your own fossils using different pasta shapes with art instructor Geli Chavez. Registration required. Click here to register for the 1:30 p.m. session. Or click here to register for the 3 p.m. session.

June 29: Dinosaur Stuffies (grades 2-4), 1:30 p.m. Sew your own dinosaur stuffie using felt and embroidery thread with Ms. Sara. Registration required; click here to register.

July 13: Dinosaur Silhouette Art (grades K-4), 1:30 or 3 p.m. Create exciting scenes for dinosaur silhouettes with art instructor Beth Burns. Registration required. Click here to register for the 1:30 p.m. session. Or click here to register for the 3 p.m. session.

July 20: Make Music with Aaron Fowler (all ages), 1:30 p.m. Explore how stories can be discovered, shared, and brought to life through songs, tales and movement! And meet Kuumba, Aaron’s classsroom therapy dog! No registration needed.

Science Show Tuesdays

Science Show Tuesday events don’t require registration! The one exception is the Museum of World Treasures event on June 2.

June 2: Museum of World Treasures (Grades 2-4 only, registration required), 10 a.m. Visit the Museum of World Treasures’ fossil gallery without leaving the library, followed by a fossil print-making project!

June 9: Dino O’Dell (Ages 3+), 10 a.m. Through music and storytelling, move from ancient ocean creatures to dinosaurs and mammals—discovering evolution, extinction, and the asteroid that changed our planet.

June 16: Sternberg Museum (Ages 5+), 10 a.m. Enjoy an exciting, hands-on experience of dinosaur paleontology, presented by one of the best natural history museums in Kansas!

June 23: Field Station: Dinosaurs (Ages 5+), 10 a.m. Learn what colors dinosaurs may have been, draw your own dinosaur, and meet some of the Field Station’s littlest dinosaurs, including Rory the T-rex hatchling!

June 30: STEMusic (Ages 3+) 10 a.m. Roy Moye brings Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to life through music that allows students to sing and dance along!

July 7: Happy Faces: The Dino Game Show! (Ages 3+) 10 a.m. Join hosts Denny Ray Burn & D-Rex and a “live studio audience” for fun and games with a pre-historic twist!

July 14: Mad Science (Ages 3+) 10 a.m. Witness an underwater volcano and mini explosions while hunting for the bones of Davidious the Dinosaur!

Hands-On Thursdays

June 4: “Book & Build” (K-4), 4 p.m. Join Ms. Manka for a picture book-inspired LEGO challenge. Registration required; click here to register.

June 11: “Super Soil!” with K-State Extension, Harvey County (K-4), 1:30 p.m. Create edible soil cups while exploring the powers of something we walk on every day. There’s a whole world under your feet! Registration required; click here to register.

June 18: Family Make & Take: African Violets (K-4), 1:30 p.m. Learn to propagate your own African violets with horticulture enthusiast Liz Peyser. Caregivers must accompany children ages 8 & under. Registration required; click here to register.

July 2: “Book & Build” (K-4), 4 p.m. Join Ms. Manka for a picture book-inspired LEGO challenge. Registration required; click here to register.

July 9: “Dig into History!” with Harvey County Historical Museum (K-4), 1:30 p.m. Learn about the lives and migrations of early inhabitants of Harvey County by studying the Museum’s collection of artifacts. Registration required; click here to register.

Summer StoryTimes! (June 1-July 24)

Weekly Schedule (no registration required)

Family (0-5 years): Mondays, 6:30 p.m.
Baby (0-18 months): Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m.
Hora del cuento en español (0-4 años): Miercoles a las 11 a.m.
Toddler (18-36 months): Thursdays, 11 AM & Fridays, 9:30 a.m.
Preschool (3-5 years): Thursdays, 9:30 AM & Fridays, 11 a.m.

Special Events! (no registration required)

Note: Special Events replace regularly scheduled StoryTimes.

Baby/Toddler PlayTimes (0-36 months): Wednesdays, June & July 22, 9:30-11 a.m.

Wichita Symphony StoryTime (All Ages): Friday, July 17, 10 a.m. Stories, instrument introductions, and fun, animal-related songs. Everyone will receive a free coloring/activity book created in collaboration with local artist Lindsey Kernodle. Approximately 45 minutes.

Teen Summer Reading Program

We have an amazing line-up of events, and great prizes, for teens (ages 10-18) this summer! Are you ready to dig into some fun at your library this summer? We hope so, because the theme for this summer is “Unearth a Story.” The Collaborative Summer Library Program says: “Whether readers are digging into a good book, uncovering hidden histories, or exploring the past, the slogan underscores the joy of discovery that reading brings. It also emphasizes that every person and every community has stories waiting to be found and shared—through books, programs, and local knowledge.” Have questions? Ask your Teen Librarian, Maggie! Get reminders and updates by registering for the “Teen” email newsletter on the NPL Newsletter Sign-Up page.

Reading Challenge (June 1-July 25)

The ultimate goal is to read 800 minutes between June 1 and July 25. If you log 800 minutes of reading, then you are invited to our Teen Pizza Party on July 31! For each 100 minutes you read, go to the front desk and get your prize! For every 100 minutes you read, and for every Teen event you attend this summer, you will earn a chance to win A GRAND PRIZE. Check out the swag below:

Reading Prizes

100 minutes: Fruit Roll-Up
200 minutes: Ring Pop
300 minutes: Mini Rubik’s Cube
400 minutes: A book and a Sonic coupon
500 minutes: Bag of chips, and sunglasses
600 minutes: International snack
700 minutes: Kawaii multicolor pens
800 minutes: Pizza party pass

For every 100 minutes you read, and for every teen event you attend this summer, you will earn a chance to win a grand prize! Grand prizes include: Roblox gift card, 3D printer pen, Wings of Fire dragon plushies, Jujutsu Kaisen playing cards, Back Alley Pizza coupon, Freddy’s coupon, and Kansas State Fair tickets.

How to Log Your Reading Minutes

Teens (ages 10-18) will log their reading minutes on an app called ReaderZone. If teens wish to log their reading minutes onto a paper, just head to the front desk and ask for one. You can register on the app as early as May 18. Pick up your leading logs as soon as June 1.

Follow thees instructions to get started tracking your minutes with ReaderZone:

Download the Reader Zone mobile app, or use the website, ReaderZone.com.
Click “Sign Up” and add your name. (Sign up as “Parent” if you’re adding multiple names.)
In order to join the Teen Summer Reading Challenge, you will need to enter a reading code. Click on “My Programs” and enter the code bed1c in the box provided, selecting the correct age group.
Now, log the time you spend reading! Click on “Reading Entry” and start the timer when you’re beginning a reading session. When you’re done, hit the pause icon. Did you forget to start or stop the timer? If the timer is running, click “Reset.” Then click “Manual Entry” to enter your reading time.

Recurring Activities

Summer Free Play: Every Wednesday in June from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. We’ll surprise you with activities like board games, crafts, playing the Nintendo Switch, and movies! Water and snacks will be provided.

Manga & Anime Book Club: Third Saturdays at 10 a.m. Join us in fun discussions about manga and anime, with a small activity. Snacks will be provided.

Teen Influencers (ages 14-18): Third Thursdays at 4 p.m. Explore ideas for the library, plan teen events, recommend books, write book reviews, enjoy snacks, and more!

Dungeons & Dragons: Wednesdays in July from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Enjoy snacks, make friends, learn more about the game, and go on a fantastical adventure together. No D&D experience is required. Because we’ll be playing an ongoing campaign, participants need to be able to attend most – or, ideally, all – of the game sessions. Registration required; click here to sign up.

Kick-Off Event

Dinosaur Trivia & Watch “Night at the Museum,” 2 p.m. Monday, June 1. It’s summer reading kick-off time! Teens will participate in dinosaur trivia and then kick back to watch the movie, The Night at the Museum while enjoying movie theater popcorn. Invite your friends!

June Events

Registration for June events begins May 18.

Museum of World Treasures – Fossils (grades 2–8): Tuesday, June 2 at 10 a.m. Learn about how fossils are created and a little about the fossils we have at the museum. At the end, use air-dry clay to make your own fossil imprint. Registration required.

DASH Robots with K-State Extension – Harvey County (ages 10–18): June 8, 9 and 10 from 10 to 11 a.m. Learn and use basic computer programming with DASH robots. Registration required.

Gray for a Day with K-State Extension – Harvey County (ages 10–18): Tuesday, June 9 at 3 p.m. Join us for an empathy-building simulation that helps participants understand the sensory and functional challenges many older adults experience. Registration required.

Sternberg Museum of Natural History (ages 10–18): Tuesday, June 16 at 2 p.m. The museum will host a presentation about predator/prey interactions in the time of dinosaurs (late Cretaceous). Registration required.

Paint a Nautilus Fossil – Watercolors with Susan Bartel (ages 10–18): Tuesday, June 23 at 3 p.m. Teens will paint a nautilus fossil image using watercolors. Nautiluses are relatives of animals that appeared at least 450 million years ago, and for that reason are often called living fossils. Paint one with friends at NPL! Registration required.

Amphibians with Great Plains Nature Center (ages 10–18): Tuesday, June 30 at 3 p.m. Come learn how these underappreciated bioindicators grow, live and find their place in the world in this 30-minute educational program provided by a naturalist from the Great Plains Nature Center. Registration required.

July Events

Registration for July events begins June 15.

MadSkillz Competition (ages 10–14): Tuesday, July 7 at 3 p.m. Crews will be created, teamwork will be tested, skills will be shown and excitement will ensue! Work together to race against your fellow players as you figure out the puzzles, use your creativity and show off your Mad Skillz. Registration required.

Teen Journalism — Unearth a Story, with Lindsey Young & Newton Area Senior Center: Friday, July 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. After learning interview skills from Lindsey Young at NPL, teens will walk to the Newton Area Senior Center (a 6-minute walk) with Lindsey and Maggie, the Teen Librarian. Eat pizza while interviewing Senior Center participants, then return to NPL to draft a story that could appear in Harvey County Now! Registration required.

Teen Photography Tutorial (take-home prints!): Tuesday, July 14 from 3 to 4 p.m. The Youth Educational Empowerment Program, founder of TeenView Magazine, will teach photography basics; each student will leave with an information sheet and printed photos showing their development. Registration required.

Meteor Showers, Shooting Stars and Comets with CJ Day (ages 10–14): Tuesday, July 21 at 3 p.m. Meteors — they killed the dinosaurs. But what is a meteor, anyway? After a talk by NPL Technical Coordinator CJ Day, participants will have the opportunity to make their own craters. Registration required.

Amelia Earhart & Flight with Brian T. Palmer, Aviation Director of Newton City Airport (ages 10–18): Friday, July 24 at 3 p.m. To honor Amelia Earhart’s birthday, Brian will teach us about the epic history of flight and our very own Kansas pilot — Amelia Earhart.

Bicycle Rodeo (ages 10–18): Saturday, July 25 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Newton Rec Center. Hang out with teen librarian Maggie to decorate a free helmet (supplies limited!) and practice bicycle handling and safety in a fun obstacle course. Enter for a chance to win a 20-inch bike!

Mosaic Art with Mary Lee-McDonald of Carriage Factory Art Gallery (ages 10–18): Tuesday, July 28 at 3 p.m. Each student will create their own mini mosaic, unearthing their own story through color, design and simple images they like. The mosaics will be housed in a tin box they can unearth time and time again. Registration required.

Summer Reading Pizza Party (ages 10–18): Friday, July 31 at 3 p.m. Teens who log 800 minutes of reading between June 1 and July 25 are invited to our end-of-summer party at NPL. Use ReaderZone or turn in your paper logs to verify your minutes. READ READ READ! 🙂

Adult Summer Reading Program

Reading Challenge (June 1-July 25)

Pick up a reading log each week, read 100 minutes, and return it to win a small prize. Each completed reading log becomes an entry for our grand prize drawing at the end of the summer! If you read 800 minutes, you can earn up to eight entries!

You can earn an additional prize drawing entry for each Adult SRP program you attend this summer!

Kansas Folklife Series

Thanks to support from Humanities Kansas, NPL is presenting a series of four events that connect Kansans with some of our state’s rich and interesting folklife traditions! “Kansas Folklife: Celebrating Kansas Traditions” is part of “By the People: Conversations Beyond 250,” a nationwide initiative of state humanities councils and the Smithsonian Institution.

These events are geared toward adults, but teens, and families with kids, are welcome to attend!

The Taste of Freedom: A Juneteenth Foodways Journey, 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 19. Join Donna Rae Pearson as she shares the story of Juneteenth, from Emancipation to its modern celebration. Participants will explore the holiday’s key symbols and discuss its modern expression in large community events that echo the spirit of Black family reunions. As Donna Rae shares stories about popular food traditions associated with the holiday, participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a “celebration red drink.” No registration needed.

Swedish Folk Dance with the Lindsborg Folkdanslag, 3 p.m. Saturday, June 27. Lindsborg, Kansas, is known for its strong Swedish heritage and the remarkable way those traditions are being passed to the next generation. The Lindsborg Folkdanslag is a shining example. This group of folk dancers will demonstrate lively variations of the polska, waltz, polka, and engelskas, and invite the audience to join. They will perform in handmade folk costumes — some handed down from early ancestors — and share those stories, too. Registration is required and opens on May 18; click here to sign up.

Mexican American Fast Pitch: Root, Root, Root for the Home Team!, 6 p.m. Thursday, July 2. Join Anita Mendoza as she explores the Kansas tradition of Mexican American fast pitch softball! In its heyday in the 1970s, teams from across the state – Topeka, Newton, Emporia, Chanute, Wichita, and others – would come together for tournaments. Held in local parks, families gathered to root for their team, share food and memories, and reconnect with friends. Participants will view a short documentary, and watch a live demonstration of techniques and styles of pitching from local fastpitch softball pitchers. Wiffle balls will be provided for anyone who wants to try out the skill, speed, and rhythm needed for the game. No registration needed.

Volga German Music in Kansas, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 21. From heartfelt wedding songs to solemn funeral hymns, Volga Germans in Kansas depended on music to be a lifeline of connection – across generations, and sometimes across oceans – and to mark life’s most sacred movements. In this presentation, Jerry Braun performs selections from the rich musical traditions of the Volga German community and highlights how music shaped culture as people moved from Russia to the Kansas plains. No registration needed.

Speed Puzzling at NPL

Team up with friends and race against the clock to assemble a jigsaw puzzle! This summer, Newton Public Library is hosting two speed puzzling events.

We’ll kick things off on with a practice session, Monday, June 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. We’ll briefly share some speed puzzling tips and strategies. Then, you and your team will put it all to the test on a puzzle from our collection (or one you bring yourself). For the practice session, teams of 2-4 are welcome, and solo puzzlers can team up at the event. As an added bonus, attendees get the first chance to sign up for July’s competition. Click here to sign up for the practice session.

Then on Saturday, July 11, from 2 to 5:30 p.m., we’ll put your skills to the test in the NPL Speed Puzzling Showdown. Teams of 3-4 will race to be the first to complete a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Each team will work to solve the same puzzle, kept under wraps until the timer starts. There will be prizes for the top finishers, and each team will get to keep their puzzle. Doors will open at 2 p.m. At 2:30 p.m., we will start the timer and call for participants to unwrap their puzzle and start solving. If 5:30 p.m. hits and no one has completed their puzzle, the team with the most linked-up pieces wins.

The Speed Puzzling Showdown is FREE, but limited to 20 teams of 3 or 4! Registration opens Tuesday, June 16, at 8 a.m. — and those who participate in the June 15 practice session will have the chance to sign up a day early. Click here to register your team.

Beverages and movie-theater popcorn will be served at both events.

More Special Events – June

Join us for these special events happening in June! These events are geared toward adults, but are also open to teens, and to families with kids (unless otherwise noted). Several also have online viewing options; click the links for more info.

Heartland Utopia: William Allen White on the Ideal Midwestern Town, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 3. For Emporia newspaper editor William Allen White, the ideal Midwestern community was a utopian vision of what America could be: a prosperous, happy community built on equality, opportunity, and neighborly generosity. This anthology collects White’s famous and obscure writings and presents him as the iconic voice of the Midwestern small town. Beverley Olson Buller, an author and expert on White, will be in conversation with Jason Stacy, one of the editors of the anthology.

Library After Hours, 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 12. Stop by Newton Public Library during this adults-only (18+) special event to find new books, read with minimal distractions, socialize, play board games and/or Nintendo Switch, and enjoy snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.

The Seeds We Carry: A Reflection on the Mennonite Experience, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 16. Presenter Gregg Schroeder will use a fictional narrative to illuminate real Mennonite history, following one family as they carry their faith, traditions, and seeds – seeds of both faith and grain – across continents and centuries.

Smartphones, Smart Families, 12 p.m. Friday, June 19. Created in response to growing concers about screen time, sleep disruption, and family connection in the digital age, this Harvey County K-State Extension presentation will provide practical tools to encourage balanced screen use, open communication, and stronger family relationships. Participants will receive a free resource kit to continue the conversation at home. Registration is required and will open May 18; click here to sign up.

Watercolor Workshops with Susan Bartel, 12 p.m. June 22 or 23. Learn foundational watercolor techniques in this hands-on workshop with local artist Susan Bartel. Susan paints exclusively with three primary colors, and she’ll show you how to mix a full palette from just these basics. You’ll practice color mixing, blending, and layering as you create a vibrant nautilus painting to take home. No experience necessary, and all materials will be provided. The same project is covered both days, so please register for only one session. Registration opens May 18: June 22 | June 23. These sessions are for adults; teens ages 10–18 can register for Susan’s teen workshop here.

The Art of Train Graffiti, with Darnel Marley, 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 23. Darnel Marley joins Newton Public Library’s Fourth Tuesday Photography series to discuss the world of freight train graffiti: the artists, the styles, and the culture that turns rail cars into moving canvases. A “bencher” who has spent hundreds of hours documenting train art as it rolls through Kansas, Darnel will talk about “monikers,” “throw-ups,” and full-car pieces; the etiquette and secrecy of the graffiti community; and her own photography work, including a current exhibit at the Great Plains Transportation Museum, running now through June 27.

More Special Events – July

Join us for these special events happening in July! These events are geared toward adults, but are also open to teens, and to families with kids (unless otherwise noted). Several also have online viewing options; click the links for more info.

Fermented Foods & Gut Health, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 1. The health of your gut plays a fundamental role in your overall well-being and is often overlooked as a contributor to illness and disease. Participate in this program to learn more, and to sample fermented foods that promote gut health. Presented by Harvey County K-State Extension agent Bonnie Brewer. Registration is required and will open on June 15. Click here to sign up.

Oceans of Kansas: When the Amber Waves Were Blue, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 7. More than 65 million years ago, Kansas was covered by a vast, shallow ocean, which stretched from Utah to Minnesota and from the Gulf of Mexico past the Arctic Circle. Paleontologist Michael J. Everhart will give a presentation and answer questions about this ocean and the wide variety of marine animals that called it home.

Trivia Night at the Library: America 250 Edition!, 6:30-8 p.m. Friday, July 10. This will be an evening of team trivia competition, covering a wide variety of subjects – but all with some sort of “America 250” connection! Teams of 2 to 4 people, ages 16+. Registration is required and will open on June 15. Click here for more info and to sign up.

Backyard Chickens 101, 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 13. Thinking about starting a backyard flock? Join Reno County K-State Extension agent Patrick Bergkamp for an introduction to keeping chickens. Patrick will cover the basics every aspiring chicken keeper should know: choosing the right breeds, building or buying a coop, feeding and daily care, health and safety, and what to expect when your hens start laying. We’ll also walk through Newton’s urban chicken regulations so you know what’s required before you bring any birds home.

Blackout Poetry Workshop, 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 27. Blackout poetry takes pre-existing texts, such as newspaper articles, and uses them to create poems by highlighting chosen words and phrases. Surrounding words and phrases are “blacked out,” creating results that can be both linguistically and visually striking. In this workshop, we’ll look at some blackout poems for inspiration, then make our own blackout poems/collages using newsprint, permanent markers, highlighters, scissors, construction paper and gluesticks. Adults and youths ages 14+ are invited to participate. Registration is required and will open on June 15. Click here to sign up.

Book Clubs

Newton Public Library’s year-round book clubs continue to meet monthly during the summer! Book clubs are free and open to the public. Starting about a month before each discussion, copies of the selected books are available to borrow. Just ask at the public service desk.

For June discussion dates and info on selections, click here.

For July discussion dates and info on selections, click here.

If you’re interested in receiving regular updates on book club dates and selections via email, click here, fill out the form, and select “Book Clubs” as one of your topics of interest.