“Unearth a Story”
June 6 – August 15, 2026
Summer Reading Program
!! Summer Reading Starts June 6th !!
Summer Reading Registration Kick-off
Saturday, June 6
10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Join us this summer as we “Unearth a Story” of fantastic summer reading! Summer reading officially begins June 6th with a kick-off event that morning from 10 am – 12 noon in front of the library. Sign up and receive a registration prize while supplies last!
Track your reading with a log, available at the links below or when you sign up at the library. Turn your completed log in at the end of summer reading and be entered in a drawing to win a fantastic prize!!
Summer Reading Logs
Download a Summer Reading Log PDF here:
| Age Group | Link |
|---|---|
| Kids (3-11) | Childrens Summer Reading Log 2026 |
| YA (12-18) | Teen Summer Reading Log 2026 |
| Adults (18+) | Adult Summer Reading Log 2026 |
(Make sure to print the logs double-sided using the “Flip on short edge” option! Adult and teen logs are best printed in color.)
Family Book Walk
On June 27, July 11, and August 1 from 10 am – 12 pm, enjoy a friendly open-air stroll, exercising both mind and body on our Family Book Walk! Each stop on the path displays the next page or two with additional information to consider, an activity, or questions for discussion. First up: I Went Walking by Sue Williams!
Zoo Idaho Visits the Library!
On June 11 at 1 pm, Dan Albro, Curator of Education at Zoo Idaho, will help us “Dig Up a Good Story” with Sal the Salamander! And on July 2 at 10:30 am, Dan will visit again to help us explore snakes!
Children’s Activities and Events
In addition to the activities listed below, please join us in the Yost-Ashcroft Family Exploration Center every Friday at 2pm for Free Art Friday! The fun begins June 12 and goes through August 14!
Children’s Story Times
Preschool Storytime (suggested ages 3 – 5 years)
Mondays
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Toddler Storytime (suggested ages 18 months – 3 years)
Wednesdays
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Book Babies (suggested ages 0 – 18 months)
Mondays
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Book Wagon Park Visits (11:30am-1:00pm)
| Alameda Park | June 9 | July 7 | July 28 |
| Syringa School | June 11 | July 9 | July 30 |
| Caldwell Park | June 16 | July 14 | August 4 |
| Lower Ross Park | June 18 | July 16 | August 6 |
| OK Ward Park (Brooklyn's Playground) | June 23 | July 21 | August 11 |
| Raymond Park | June 25 | July 23 | August 13 |
STEAM Night Activities
| June 9 | 7:00pm | Idaho Museum of Natural History |
| July 14 | 7:00pm | Playing with Electricity |
| August 11 | 7:00pm | Writing Our Own Stories |
Other Activities
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| June 22 | 3 pm | Portneuf Pollinator Partnership - Learn all about how to paint using natural plant pigments! |
| June 23 | 5:30 pm | LEGO Club |
| July 28 | 5:30 pm | LEGO Club |
Teen Activities and Events
*You get 1 raffle entry for every 10 days you read! That’s up to 7 tickets just for reading every day this summer!
*Grand prizes include: NINTENDO SWITCH LITE, KINDLE e-READER, $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD, and more!
*For activities requiring registration, register here!
| June 4th (Thursday) | 5-7 pm | Creative Writing Workshop & Lab | |
| June 6th (Saturday) | 3-5 pm | Tech-Titans Robotics Club | |
| June 18th (Thursday) | 5-7 pm | Creative Writing Workshop & Lab | |
| June 22nd (Monday) | 6-8 pm | Game Night | Bring a game to share or come build a MTG deck to take home |
| June 25th (Thursday) | 5-7 pm | Creative Writing Workshop & Lab | |
| June 26th (Friday) | 1-3 pm | Sticker Craft | Registration required - see link above |
| June 30th (Tuesday) | 5-7 pm | CLAWS - Book Club | "The Invocations" by Krystal Sutherland Registration required - see link above |
| July 2nd (Thursday) | 5-7 pm | Creative Writing Workshop & Lab | |
| July 9th (Thursday) | 5-7 pm | Creative Writing Workshop & Lab | |
| July 16th (Thursday) | 5-7 pm | Creative Writing Workshop & Lab | |
| July 17th (Friday) | 1-3 pm | Game Afternoon | Bring a game to share or come build a MTG deck to take home |
| July 22nd (Wednesday) | 5:30-8 pm | D&D | Registration required - see link above |
| July 23nd (Thursday) | 5-7 pm | Creative Writing Workshop & Lab | |
| July 30th (Thursday) | 5-7 pm | Creative Writing Workshop & Lab | |
| July 31st (Friday) | 2 pm | Picky Pad Craft | Registration required - see link above |
| August 3rd (Monday) | 3-5 pm | Game Night | Bring a game to share or come build a MTG deck to take home |
| August 6th (Thursday) | 5-7 pm | Creative Writing Workshop & Lab | Guest Speaker: Jessica Felleman |
| August 13th (Thursday) | 5-7 pm | Creative Writing Workshop & Lab |
Summer Reading Activities for Adults
| Date & Time | Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, June 5th 4 - 5:30 pm | Pocatello: Where We Were & Where We're Going | In celebration of America 250, come join us for an interesting historical forum about Pocatello! We will have the honor of hearing from Michael Thiel, the founder of Idahocemetery and board member of the Idaho 250 Time Capsule, who will discuss some interesting Pocatello history. He will be followed by Councilman Dakota Bates and Long-Range Senior Planner Jim Anglesey who will talk about the vision of Pocatello now and for the future. Come join us on Friday, June 5th at 4:00 PM in the Dr. Minnie F. Howard Community Room as we celebrate Pocatello's glorious legacy and future! | |
| Saturday, June 20th 11 am - 1 pm | Garden: Pests and Problems | This will be Part 2 in a four part series about seed planting and harvesting, courtesy of Missy Aims, a longtime garderner and former Editorial Director for Mother Earth News and Grit magazines. | |
| Tuesday, June 23rd 5:30 - 6:30 pm | Creative Writing for Adults - Bethany Schultz Hurst, Guest Presenter | Poetry Workshop: It's Your Turn - We'll consider the poetic "turn", a significant shift in a poem's initial direction, and how it can usefully complicate poems and compel their readers. We'll read and discuss a couple examples and then take our own turns in a guided exercise. | |
| Tuesday, June 23rd 7 - 8 pm | Adult Craft Night | Dinosaur Felt Bookmarks | |
| Saturday, June 27th 2 - 4 pm | Food & Family: Bring a Recipe | Food tells a story and is a wonderful way to learn about family history and culture. We are inviting participants to prepare and bring a dish that represents their family history, along with the written recipe to share. We will also share family stories related to the recipe and why their dish is significant to their cultural heritage. | |
| Thursday, July 2nd 2 - 4 pm | America250 Birthday Cake | Come enjoy a piece of cake to celebrate America's 250th birthday! Find out how July 2nd was almost our Independence Day! | |
| Tuesday, July 28 7-8 pm | Adult Craft Night | ||
| Saturday, August 8th 2-4 pm | 3rd Annual Puzzle Tournament | Sign up with a team to compete in our 3rd annual puzzle race tournament. Participants will have two hours to complete a 500-piece puzzle. Registration is required. Winners will keep the puzzle they complete and receive a medal for their efforts. |
