Where do your kids fall in the summer reading spectrum? Whether they love to read or hate it or are somewhere in between, there is probably a program out there for them. If they are ambitious, they can participate in several. There is no rule that kids can’t use the same books for several programs.
A few years ago, I did some research on the reality of the income-based achievement gap and how parents can Increase their Child’s Chances in School with a few Simple, Budget-Friendly Habits. Summer reading is another place where the achievement gap grows. However, the fix is offering your kids easy access to a lot of books and empowering them to select their own reading materials. This is where summer reading programs can come in handy.
Twin Cities libraries offering a free summer reading program
It would be particularly fun to try to visit as many different libraries as possible during the summer. You could even collect autographs from the librarians you meet. Use our list of 101 Twin Cities Libraries: Mapped to explore the Twin Cities.
Summer Adventures – Game On!
Library: Anoka County Libraries
Ages: All ages — kids, teens & adults.
Start Date: June 1-August 26, 2026.
Details: Get the FREE Beanstalk app, where you and your kids can track their reading, compete with friends and family, read down fines and earn special activity badges for chances to win prizes. Plus, beginning July 1st, pick up a case file and play the Shelf Detectives Library Mystery Game. Register online.
Plant A Seed, Read
Library: Carver County Libraries
Ages: Kids Birth-Age 11; Teens 12-18.
Dates: June 1-August 8, 2026
Details: Pick up paper forms from a librarian beginning June 1st, or use Beanstalk. In person activities will include live performances, book clubs, storytimes and storywalks, STEM activities and art programs. Kids who complete at least 5 activities can win a book or other prizes. Learn More.
Summer Discovery
Library: Dakota County Libraries
Ages: Pre-Readers: Birth–age 4; Readers: Grades K–​​5; Teens: Grades 6–12.
Dates: June 1–August 31, 2026.
Details: Pick up an age-appropriate activity log and find plent of free things to do that encourage literacy: like get personalized reading suggestions from Book Match and attend free, family-friendly programs at your Dakota branches. There are even resources specifically for English language learners to increase fluency. Learn More here.
Camp Cryptid – Summer Reading Program
Library: Ramsey County Libraries
Ages: Children of all ages.
Begins: June 1, 2026. and runs through late-August.
Details: Participants can pick up a summer reading program catalog, reading tracker, and other materials at any RCL location. Ask your children’s librarian for details!
Ramsey County Library Summer Reading Events: Search Ramsey County Libraries events, use the Program dropdown menu and choose “Summer Reading Program“.
Summer Spark
Library: Saint Paul Public Libraries
Ages: Â 0-18.
Dates: June 1-August 31, 2026
Details: Summer Spark includes library events and activities, create a challenge goal and visit the library to celebrate accomplishments. Kids get a free book when they stop by a St. Paul Library branch to sign up. Learn More.
Summer Spotlight
Library: Scott County Libraries
Ages: Birth to 18.
Dates: May 30-August 29, 2026
Details: Visit your favorite branch to pick up a free starter kit. Kids will get a reading log, booklists and activities. In person programs will be offered throughout the summer and kids can check out Take Home Play Kits or tabletop games. For kids who need extra practice Reading Boost packets will help support literacy development and comprehension. Learn More.
Summer Adventure at Your Library
Library: Washington County Libraries
Ages: Children, teens, and adults.
Dates: June 1-August 16, 2026.
Details: Summer Reading program for kids ages birth through age 11. Pick up a game card at your favorite branch beginning June 1st, complete 10 challenges and turn in your game card for a chance to win prizes. Learn More. Teens ages 12-18 can participate in Summer Side Quests to earn a free book.
Discover Summer with the Library
Library: Hennepin County Libraries
Ages: Youth of all ages.
Dates: Begins June 5, 2026.
Details: Pick up a Library Passport and see how many HCL branches you can visit this summer. Add to the fun by scheduling your visits around one of the Summer Learning events scheduled for 2026.
Local bookstores with a Summer Reading Challenge
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Store Locations in the Twin Cities
Ages: Kids grades 1-6.
Details: Kids participating in the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program read any eight books over the summer, record them in the journal that they can print, and earn a free book from among 31 popular titles.Â
Half Price Books
Half-Price Books Twin Cities Locations
Ages: 0-12
Dates: Begins June 1, 2026 – Register now to get email updates.
Details: Summer Reading Camp includes printables, book recommendations and craft and activity ideas by themes: Kids can register for the summer reading program to get reading lists and fun activities all summer long. Stop by a Half-Price Books locations to pick up a camper’s Reward Map and learn how to earn $5 Bookworm Bucks in June and July.
Red Balloon Bookshop
891 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105
Red Balloon will host fun events all summer, including story times, author visits and book clubs. Kickoff Summer on Grand Old Day with a visit to Red Balloon Bookship during the festivities. Learn More about Red Balloon Bookshop.
The Thinking Spot
3311 County Rd 101 Suite 4, Wayzata, MN 55391
 The Thinking Spot hosts family-friendly events all summer long, including story times and book clubs. They will also have a Where’s Waldo challenge in July. Learn more about the Thinking Spot here.
Wild Rumpus Books
Ages: Anyone (though only kids and teens will get prizes)!.
Wild Rumpus traditionally hosts a summer reading challenge, plus story times, author visits, a PJ Trolley and the Where’s Waldo challenge each summer.
Got a reason to run to Wisconsin?
- Books A Million Summer Reading Adventure. Kids can choose and read 4 books from BAM’s Summer Reading Adventure section recommended summer reading list, record them in the summer reading adventure log book and earn a free pencil pouch. (Participation in this program will require a road trip to Eau Claire to pick up your prize.) The 2026 Reading ambassador is Erin Hunter, author(s) of the Warriors graphic novel series about a clan-sytle civilization of forest cats.
*Local, in this article, simply means that there is a physical bookstore located in or near the Twin Cities.
Online programs to encourage reading
Check out these online programs open to anyone. Some can be used year round!
Brightly Summer Reading
Print a Summer Reading Tracker – Amusement Park coloring poster. Plus get booklists and activity ideas.
Heifer International – Read to Feed
Kids can download the Read to Feed app and help end poverty by reading books. Learn more here.
Kolbe Academy Summer Reading Challenge
Registration: Open Now.
Details: Kolbe Academy is a Catholic homeschool provider and online school. Parents can sign up to receive a free printable summer reading list, including 4 ages groups ranging from Kindergarten through 12th grade. The reading list includes some religious books and stories bout saints, but is mostly universally appropriate.Â
MENSA Excellence in Reading Program.
Dates: Any time.
Details: This is one of my favorites. Although it is not technically a “summer” reading program it has a “sSummertime Favorites” list of suggestions. Â MENSA offers printable reading lists for kids in 4 proficiency categories ranging from Kindergarten through 12th Grade. Once a child has completed every book on the list, they can mail in the form to get a certificate and t-shirt. I really love the book selections and want to make this a goal, even though it is unlikely the older kids could finish in a summer.
Pizza Hut Camp Book It
Dates: June, July & August
Details: To help increase reading time during the summer months, parents can sign up to receive weekly emails with summer reading activities. Set a monthly reading goal and track daily progress. Kids can earn a free Personal Pan Pizza.
Other Incentives for Reading in the Summer:
- Starfall is an educational website that has been around a since before my college-age child was a baby. Other reading sites come and go, but this one remains the best in my opinion. It is like getting mini reading classes in the form of fun activities and short stories. It has a heavy focus on early reading skills, including letters and letter sounds. The website is free, but you can unlock extras with a membership.
- 20 Minutes Reading? 20 Easy Strategies. Here, I’ve shared ways to sneak reading into our busy lives. I didn’t share Starfall on that list, but I would count 20 minutes of following the guided program as 20 minutes of reading.
- St. Paul Saints Reading Tree. Arrive early (by 12:45pm) for Sunday afternoon games to have a story time with players and local authors in right field. It usually starts at 1:10pm and goes until 1:30pm. Learn more and find upcoming dates here.
- Top Kids Storytimes in the Twin Cities.
8 Places to Find Free Books without Leaving Your Home:
- Your local library. All the Twin Cities libraries now use the Libby App for patrons to access books to use with Kindle or Audio Books
- BookFlix. Also accessed through any metro library. This is a fun app to use with kids learning reading comprehension.
- Amazon. Amazon has tons of free books. You just have to sift through them to find the good ones.
- Spotify. The same deal goes for Spotify. They have always offered some audio books and recently added an audio book section. However, most of their books are offered at somewhat prohibitive prices and offerings are difficult to navigate. It’s actually easier to find free classics in the podcast section.
- Project Gutenberg. The definitive place to find books in the public domain is Project Gutenberg.
- LibriVox. Where Project Gutenberg is perfect for e-books in the public domain, Librivox does the same with audiobooks. The books are read by volunteers, so they are hit and miss, but the best books usually have more than one option.
- YouTube. YouTube is my go-to when I want to preview a picture book before buying it. Just Google the name of a picture book and you can usually find someone reading it.
- Ebooks Minnesota. Find books by local authors. This is another offering through your library.
Sounds good
It does! Doesn’t it, Ahmed? What are your kids reading this summer?
The Thinking Spot in Wayzata has a summer reading bingo, too!
Thanks Brianna. I’ll look into this.
Thank you for compiling all of these resources! I’m a reading intervention teacher creating a summer resource list for my students and their families. This is so helpful! For multilingual families, another great resource page is Colorin Colorado. They have several articles with tips for parents on summer reading, website recommendations, and excellent booklists.
Thanks for this additional resource, Gloria.