June 5 to August 11
Registration June 5 to June 10 August 5 (in person)
Summer Reading challenges are back this year from June 5 to August 11!
This year’s theme is “Find Your Voice” and there are now three age categories for the reading challenge and events: Youth ages 0-11, Teens ages 12-18, Adults ages 19+! Registration will be in person June 5 to August 5. We are not doing registration online or over the phone this year and reading challenges will be completed using special bingo cards.
Prizes
Everyone who completes the reading challenge in any age category will receive a book of their choice to take home. The first 100 children that complete the challenge will also receive a Monical’s Pizza coupon, all teens will be entered for a chance to win a pair of headphones, and all adults will be entered for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card!
But that’s not all–we have events and activities planned all summer long!
Monthly Events and Crafts
All events will be held in the Monken Activity Room on the Library’s second floor, accessible by elevator, unless stated otherwise.
June
- All Month Long (while supplies last from Youth Staff or Front Desk): DIY Tassel Keychains (Ages 12+)
- June 8 & 30 @ 3pm: Karaoke Night (Ages 19+)
- June 12 & 27 @ 3pm: Karaoke Night (Ages 12-18)
- June 20 @ 10:30am: Find Your Animal Voice Story Time
- June 20 @ 6pm: Book Club for Adults
July
- All Month Long (while supplies last from Youth Staff or Front Desk): Memory Accordion Albums (Ages 12+)
- July 3 & 17 @ 11am: Self-Publishing Workshop (Ages 19+)
- July 10 & 24 @ 2pm: Journaling Workshop (Ages 12-18)
- July 18 @ 6pm: Book Club for Adults
- July 19 @ 3:30pm: Story Time Sing-along with take-home Song Cube
August
- August 1-12 (while supplies last from Youth Staff or Front Desk): Tiny Art Kits (All Ages)
- August 3 @ 10:30am: Use Your Words Story Time with take-home Calm Down Bottle
- August 5 @ 2pm: Zine Workshop (Ages 12-18)
- August 11 @ 3pm: Zine Workshop (Ages 19+)
- August 15 @ 6pm: Book Club for Adults
- August 21-26 during library hours in the Junior Room and the Reading Room: Tiny Art Gallery Show (All Ages)
Special Ticketed Events
We have two very special ticketed events this year! The St. Louis Aquarium will be presenting “All About Animals” with some of their small animals and Mad Science of St. Louis will be presenting “Sounds Like Science” this year! Both events will be in the Monken Activity Room (accessible by elevator).
To attend these events, pick up a ticket for All About Animals during registration June 5-10 and Sounds Like Science on August 1. Tickets are first come, first serve; no phone calls or online reservations. You must be seated 5 minutes before the program starts, otherwise seating will be given away. You must have the tickets for entry into the program.
Weekly Crafts and Activities for Kids
Every Week: Word of the Week (Find a word on the sidewalks around the Library for a prize!)
Week 1: Sidewalk Chalk Week (Draw on our sidewalks)
Week 2: Book Quote Match (Match the character and title of a book to its quotes)
Week 3: Express Your Love of the Library (Draw or write what you love about the Library in heart shaped cutouts or word bubbles)
Week 4: Express Thoughts of Kindness on Postcards (Draw or write positive affirmations on a postcard to be delivered to nursing homes)
Week 5: Collage Journal Cover (Decorate a small blank book to start a journal)
Week 6: Kinetic Butterflies (Read “Dreamers” by Yuyi Morales and then make your own butterfly to represent your voice)
Week 7: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Craft (Read the book and then make a coconut tree with the letters of the alphabet)
Week 8: One Word Art (Choose a word that has meaning or value to you and create a small poster with that word)
Week 9: Empower Poster (Create a small poster with descriptive empowering words as a reminder of how wonderful you are)
Week 10: Tin Can String Phone (Read “Telephone” by Mac Barnett and then make a tin can string phone to take home) Sidewalk Chalk Week (Draw on our sidewalks; this will be the last week of activities!)
Week 11: Tin Can Drums (Make tin can drums to take home and use music as a way to express your voice)
All events, crafts, and activities are free and do not require a library card.
Please call us at (618) 532-5222 or email us at cenlib@centralia.lib.il.us with any questions or concerns.
See you this summer!
Updated 8/5/2023
