2026 Children's Summer Reading Club
Starts Soon!
If you miss the Reading Club
It really would be stinko
There's prizes, programs, fun
And oh my goodness ..... Plinko!
Dear Kids:
If you join the summer reading club you'll get to:
a. Play the Plinko board - if you read for 2 1/2 hours a week.
b. Qualify for the grand raffle with a chance to win The Big One - a bicycle, if you read for 24 hours over six weeks.
c. Become really, really smart and boss everyone around - okay the "smart" part is true - the "boss" part is not!
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In 2025, Summer Readers logged over 4,310 hours of reading!
Click here to log your reading:
There's a Reader Zone app for Summer Reading!
Available in the App Store and Google Play
For an overview of how to use Reader Zone, visit the Reader Zone Help Page
Reading and Reporting Dates
Summer Readers can begin logging their reading on the day of the Read-a-thon.
Reporting: Log online with Reader Zone! The code to join the Children's program will be available in June. Paper logs are also available on request. If you used Reader Zone last year, that account still works! Don't remember your log-in information? Staff can look up the email it is under, but you will have to reset your password.
Play the Plinko board: Play the Plinko board on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday each week. Simply read two and a half hours Wednesday through Tuesday and log the time on Reader Zone before 11:59pm on Tuesday night to qualify!
Didn't read for two and a half hours? Stop by to chat with Mr. Mark and pick up the weekly prize for the reading you did do!
The Plinko board will be set up on the 3rd Floor of the Library on:
Schedule to be announced!
Plinko board dates coming soon.
Summer Activities
Come into the Library for scavenger hunts, puzzles, crafts, and other great challenges, or try the Reader Zone Challenges at home!
Summer Take & Make Kits
Available...
List of kits coming soon!
Reader Zone Challenges
Invention Attention
Make up an invention using LEGOs, blocks, or anything from your house. Give it a name, tell what it does, and you'll win a prize. Email a photo to Mr. Mark (mmalcolm@minlib.net), bring the photo to the library, or upload it to Reader Zone!
Make Mr. Mark Laugh
So you think you're funny? Well, come up with a riddle or a joke, make a crazy face, do a funny dance, pull your pants up over your shirt - the point is if you can make Mr. Mark laugh, you'll get a digital award. Email a joke (mmalcolm@minlib.net), upload a picture to Reader Zone, or do something crazy in person. Then go to Reader Zone and select "YES!"
Stage "Presents"
Come to the library, do a show for Mr. Mark in our own puppet theater, and you'll win a prize! The show must be at least 3 minutes long. Remember, today the Maynard Library - tomorrow - Disney!
The "Write" Turn
Write a story using these three words somewhere in it (note: It can be as long or short as you want.):
a. librarian
b. hero
c. smart
Email it to Mr. Mark or bring it to the library to get a prize. After showing it to Mr. Mark, go to Reader Zone and select "YES!" for a digital award!
Stump the Librarian
Okay, this isn't going to be easy because Librarians know EVERYTHING! But if you could possibly come up with a question that Mr. Mark does NOT know the answer to, you'll get a digital award! Write down the question on a slip of paper or email it to Mr. Mark (mmalcolm@minlib.net). Once you've stumped Mr. Mark, go to Reader Zone to say "YES!" But undertake this challenge at your own risk - Mr. Mark will show no mercy!
P.S. You must be able to document the answer to your question.
Summer Events
These are just a few of the summer children's events. See the Library calendar for more programs.
Annual Read-a-Thon
Date TBA
10:00am-1:00pm
For the Read-a-thon you'll get to:
a. Read to raise money for children's programs like animal and music shows
b. Get to eat free pizza and drinks
c. Read live and in-person outdoors!
Directions:
Get pledges from friends and family for each page that you read (ex. $.05 or $.10 cents a page).
Donate to the "Friends of the Maynard Public Library"
**Crucial Announcement**
Donate $10 and win a gift certificate from Erikson's - Donate $50 or more to win three Erikson's certificates.
Click here to download the pledge sheet.
Summer Reading Club Kick-Off Movie Event
Date & Time TBA
Get ready, gang. All of the members of our Maynard Public Library Summer Reading Club are invited to the Fine Arts Theatre for an exclusive FREE screening of a first-run motion picture.
If you join the Club, you'll be given elite access to meet in the lobby of the theater for a dose of movie magic. But don't forget, as soon as the movie's over, it's time to start reading.
Tiny Art Show
4th Annual Tiny Art Show
Kits available beginning Wednesday, July 15
OR attend an In-person Creating Event:
-
Dates coming soon!
All Ages, No registration needed.
Show dates: Saturday, August 1 - Saturday, August 15
Artists' Reception: Tuesday, August 4, 7:00pm
Create artwork no larger than 4" at home or attend one of the two In-person creating events. Return the artwork by 9pm on Tuesday, July 28 for it to be included in a gallery show in the Roosevelt Room.
The Maynard Truck Parade
Date TBA
Time & Location TBA
All Ages, No registration needed
What are our two favorite things in the world - books and trucks, right? But we can't fit the trucks in the library so you're all invited to the Maynard High School field to view the fourth annual Truck Parade. We'll all be watching as the fire trucks, rescue vehicles, police cars, dump trucks, diggers, and the most important truck--what am I talking about?--the ice cream truck drive around us in a big procession--a true vehicular vista!
Monthly Tween Craft
July Date & Activity TBA
August Date & Activity TBA
6:00pm
Ages 9-14, Registration required
Join Ms. Casey for a craft program for upper elementary and middle school-aged kids!
End-of-Summer Pool Party & Raffle Extravaganza
Date & Time TBA
At the Thoreau Club
What are our two favorite summer activities? Reading and swimming, of course! At this event you'll have the chance to do both - not at the same time, hopefully.
To celebrate all the great reading everybody did, we're all heading, yes, to the Thoreau Club for our end-of-summer pool party and raffle. We'll take a nice dip in the pool and when we're through swimming, it'll be time for the Final Raffle. Everyone who read for at least 24 hours over the six weeks of the program will qualify and one lucky reader will drive off with the grand prize, the Big One - a bicycle!
More information and registration coming soon.
Many thanks to...
"Plant a Seed, Read", the Massachusetts Statewide Summer Library Program, is funded by the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. It is also sponsored by the Friends of the Maynard Public Library.
The theme of "Plant a Seed, Read" and related artwork is provided by iRead and the Illinois Library Association. Artwork used in the Children's program was created by Ruth Chan.
Thank you to the Western Mass Library Advocates, the Eric Carle Museum, the U.S.S. Constitution Museum, Yankee Candle, and Holyoke Children's Museum for prizes.
We are incredibly grateful to all the local businesses who donated prizes for weekly prizes, the Plinko board, and the Final Raffle - a full list is coming soon!