2026 Summer Reading Challenge
Make the Library - and reading - part of your summer June 1 through August 1! Our theme this year, Unearth a Story™, underscores the joy of discovery that reading brings. Check out the recommended reads below and spark your family's curiosity, imagination, and learning.
Read 20 Minutes Per Day, Get Free Books
Read for at least 20 minutes every day this summer and track it on your Summer Reading Prize Tracker game board. After you log 20 days of reading, return for your free prize book!
Remember to return all completed trackers to your local library by August 1, 2026.
Summer Reading Kick-Off Party
Summer at Jax Library kicks off June 1-6 with parties at all 21 library locations. Join us for themed crafts, special guests, giveaways, and more.
All kids and teens in attendance will receive:
- A Free Book for their home library (while supplies last)
- Summer Reading Prize Tracker(s) to log reading minutes
- Reading Dragons & Friends starter card set and deck box
BONUS: The Jacksonville Waves are offering a complimentary ticket to each student participating in the Library's Summer Reading Challenge. Get your ticket at a Kick-Off Party and watch the women’s professional basketball team this season at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena!
Find a kick-off party near you
Unearth Extra Prizes
Each week, collect new Reading Dragons & Friends playing cards by showing us your in-progress Summer Reading Prize Tracker. Supplies are limited. So, visit often.
If you read every day this summer, you can complete up to three trackers, meaning you can:
- Earn up to three more books for your home library
- Earn eight additional Reading Dragons card sets (32 cards)
Learn how to collect and play Reading Dragons & Friends on our blog.
You may also be able to earn special cards by participating in other activities, like visiting a Bookmobile stop. Many locations will also host Scavenger Hunts or give out Bingo Cards. Prizes and incentives for these activities will vary by location. Please ask your neighborhood librarian for more details.
Reading Recommendations
Throughout the summer, you'll find great, themed books on display and hear amazing stories at storytimes and other library programs (for all ages)!
Get More Book Recommendations
Throughout the summer, you'll find more themed books on display (or on the blog). It's all to encourage kids to read, learn and use their Library now and into the next school year!
If you don't find something that sparks your interest, you can also:
- Request a free Personalized Booklist from our "Book Finder" team
- Sign up for The Book Hook Up to see the hottest new titles via email
- Find read-alikes and curated lists using NoveList K-8 Plus
Don't be afraid to ask your local librarian for suggestions!
Adult readers are encouraged to join Jax Stacks, our year-round reading challenge for adults.
Community Partners
Do you like basketball? The Jacksonville Waves are offering a complimentary ticket to each student participating in the Jacksonville Public Library Summer Reading Challenge. Pick yours up at a Summer Reading Kick-Off Party June 1-6 at your local library.
Who are the Jacksonville Waves?
Jacksonville Waves: "A team that channels that same fearless spirit on the court. Fluid in motion. Relentless in force. Boundless in energy." They are one of four founding teams in the Upshot League, a premier women’s professional basketball league built on elite competition, player opportunity, and community connection. Their season tips off on May 15, 2026 and runs through September. They'll face off against Savannah Steel, Charlotte Crown, and Greensboro Groove.
Home games are played at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd., Jacksonville. For accessible seating, please contact the Waves Front Office at (904) 602-7825.
20 Minutes a Day Paves the Way
Research shows that summer library programs can help prevent summer learning loss and set kids up for future reading and academic success. Summer reading keeps kids connected to books, creativity, and discovery while they are away from the classroom. That is why Jacksonville Public Library is a proud member of Read Jax, a community effort to improve third-grade reading outcomes.
We’ve also adopted the slogan "Twenty Minutes a Day Paves the Way" because research has shown that reading (and being read to) just 20 minutes a day can:
- Provide time for parents and caregivers to bond with children
- Prepare pre-kindergartners for school
- Expose children to as many 1.8 million words per year
- Help students reach the 90th percentile on standardized tests
- Improve their earning potential later in life
- Lead to healthier lives
Note: Prize books were made possible by donations to Tenikka's Books for Kids (annual book drive) and the Library Foundation of Jacksonville. Since it launched in 2018, Tenikka's Books for Kids has put nearly 40,000 books in the hands of local children.
If you're visiting us in person this summer, you're sure to come across posters, bookmarks, and other marketing materials featuring the beautiful artwork by illustrator Tom Bonson whose work you may recognize from from Where Did the Dinosaurs Go?. Dinosaurs, paleontology, and archeology are consistently cited as high-interest areas for children and families, offering rich opportunities to spark curiosity, imagination and learning across all age groups. The slogan UNEARTH A STORY™ was chosen to align with this theme and is a Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) trademark which may only be used with prior written permission.
