Santa Cruz Public Libraries is excited to kick-off summer with the 2026 Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is Plant a Seed, Read! This theme is rooted in the concept of farm-to-table. A farm grows food that nourishes our bodies; a library grows ideas that nourish our minds. Both food and stories connect us to our family, culture, economy, and ecology.
Reading transports us to magical worlds sparking our imagination and creativity.
The Summer Reading Program encourages children to explore the world of books and reading during their summer break. Participation in the Summer Reading Program fosters love for reading and learning, and prevents the “Summer Slide” —a term used to describe the loss over the summer months of academic skills and knowledge students gain through the school year.
Engaging in reading activities during this time helps prevent the ‘slide’ and enhances children’s literacy skills, ensuring a smoother transition to the new school year in the fall. Adults are also encouraged to participate in the Summer Reading program; this serves as a strong model for children, as they see their parents enjoying reading, or participating in the many programs offered, enhancing family connectedness and strengthening parent-children bonds.
Beyond preventing the ‘slide’, the Summer Reading Program offers a wide range of additional benefits for kids. It allows them to discover the joy of reading for pleasure, without the pressures of school assignments or exams. When children choose books based on their interests and preferences, they immerse themselves in captivating stories, explore new worlds that spark their imagination. Reading during the summer also enhances vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills, while expanding their knowledge on various subjects.
As part of the Summer Reading Program, kids, teens, families and adults are encouraged to track how much they read to earn gift certificates to Atlantis Fantasy World and the Boardwalk Bowl, scoops of ice cream from The Penny Ice Creamery, and raffle tickets for the grand prize. Grand prize for kids is a $500 gift certificate to Book Shop Santa Cruz, teens can win a $500 gift certificate to local businesses. Adults signing up by June 22 enter a raffle for a
Family pack of 2 adult +2 youth tickets for Santa Cruz Shakespeare summer 2026 season, and as they read, they earn seed packets from Renee’s Garden, raffle tickets for the Silver Prize, which is a Museum of Art and History Fan Membership, or the Gold Prize, which is a Monterey Bay Aquarium Family Membership.
The library also offers a variety of FREE programs to make the summer even more engaging and interactive. Join us for special events featuring Jungle James, Happy Birds, Cascada de Flores, and Perry Yan, to name a few! We also have workshops, virtual author talks, family crafts, movie nights, and weekly storytimes for toddlers and preschoolers. These activities not only foster a sense of community among young readers but also promote creativity and collaboration.
The Santa Cruz Public Libraries Summer Reading Program is a valuable opportunity for children to continue their reading journey during the summer months. We encourage you to read for fun, to learn a new skill, to make a new friend, and plant a seed, read at the Santa Cruz Public Library this summer!
Visit any of the ten open branches of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries to sign up for the Summer Reading program or go online. Participants can log their Summer Reading hours to win prizes by using the reading log on the back of the program brochure, additional copies of the log are also available, or can be logged by using the Beanstack App. For a complete list of all the Summer Reading Program activities and locations, visit the Santa Cruz Public Libraries Summer Reading Program page at SantaCruzpl.org/SRP/
By Ana Maria Treadwell, Community Relations Specialist, Santa Cruz Public Libraries
