Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Exciting activities, amazing prizes, and great books: It’s time to jump into Summer Reading at the Fond du Lac Public Library.

Starting Wednesday, June 1, the Fond du Lac Public Library invites users of all ages to “Read Beyond the Beaten Path,” the theme of Summer Reading @ FDLPL 2022.

All summer, the library will offer plenty to enjoy. For the first time in two years, Summer Reading will feature almost exclusively in-person activities, including four spotlight performances for youth during June and July.

Activities for all ages will be held throughout the program, often highlighting the wonders of the outdoors.

Adults will have a chance to learn about mushroom foraging (June 30), foraging for edible and medicinal wild plants (July 12) and Ojibway herbal remedies (Aug. 4), in addition to the library’s usual slate of programming. Individuals with an exotic pet they wish to surrender even will have an opportunity to do so on Aug. 13.

Kids, meanwhile, have tons of activities to join to keep them from getting bored. Spotlight events include visits from the animals of Zoozort (June 15), the birds of the Winged Wonders Live Raptor Program (June 29), fun and silliness with musician David Landau (July 13), and hands-on science with Amazing Oceans with Mad Science Milwaukee (July 27). These events will be available by ticket only; tickets may be picked up starting the Thursday before the event at the Children’s Desk at the Main Library. 

Other youth highlights include a drop-in Art Camp (June 13, 20 & 27), a drop-in Space Camp (June 17), a drop-in STEM camp (July 11, 18 & 25), a Family Campout at the Library (June 17), Messy Art event (July 5), a Drive-In Movie Experience (July 12), and Touch a Truck (July 19). Storytimes also return with Baby Storytime on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m., Toddler Storytime on Mondays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m., and Preschool Storytime Mondays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. All storytimes take place on the lower level of the Main Library.

Teens, meanwhile, can show off their artistic talents during the third-annual Teen Art Contest (June 1-July 31) or during a July 7 Flower Tote program, their culinary chops during a S’More Off (June 16), or their cunning during an Escape the Haunted Cabin escape room (June 23-24).

Meanwhile, through Aug. 14, kids, teens, and adults may read their favorite books to earn prizes. Returning in 2022 is an online logging option: users can hop on the Fond du Lac Public Library’s online portal, Beanstack, to record their minutes of reading. A link to Beanstack is available at fdlpl.org/summer2022. Participation is easy, and earns readers instant rewards along the way as well as a chance at a grand prize at the end of the summer. All reading counts, and reading aloud counts for both the reader and the listener. Instant prizes include the popular Faris Popcorn.

Learn more about Summer Reading at the Fond du Lac Public Library by visiting fdlpl.org/summer2022.