Summer Reading Program
Program Information
Anaheim Public Library launches this year's summer reading program, "Reading Colors Your World!" from Tuesday, June 1 to Friday, August 6, 2021.
Your neighborhood Anaheim Library is hosting various virtual programs and activities for children, teens, and adults on the Library's Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Readers can track their reading progress, earn badges, win prizes, and more by logging their points in the READsquared app or visiting anaheim.readsquared.com.
Earn points by reading or completing activities like watching a virtual program, reserving a STEAM kit or checking out an eBook.
Participants can also increase their odds at winning in weekly raffles by completing additional activities! Find the complete list in the READsquared app.
Importance of Summer Reading
As the summer months are approaching, you may hear the term “summer slide” start to make its way into conversations but what is that? Young people experience learning losses when they don’t engage in educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer. Typically, a child may lose up to three months of reading progress, leading to subpar reading levels by the beginning of the next school year.
Preventing the effects of summer slide is simple – Read! Children and young adults need ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills. Summer Reading reminds kids that reading is for fun. Reading for as little as twenty minutes a day helps to keep children engaged and in a mindset that supports the learning of new information. This can actually lead to an improvement of reading skills, better preparing your child for the upcoming school year.
The Anaheim Public Library hosts a Summer Reading Program to help keep kids focused on engaging activities, fun programs, and reading materials. Our selection of children’s books can stimulate their growing minds and get them ready to excel in academics.
Virtual Programs
Watch virtual programs on the Library's Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube
- California Joe: The Science of Magic Show!
- Explore the Science of Magic! California Joe teaches hands-on magic experiments like camouflage, optical illusions, static electricity, and more!
- Watch on Tuesday, June 1 at 11 a.m.
- Explore the Science of Magic! California Joe teaches hands-on magic experiments like camouflage, optical illusions, static electricity, and more!
- Bilingual Family Concert with Nathalia
- Nathalia uses a creative bilingual approach to engage families in a fun-filled musical concert. With themes like space exploration, dinosaurs, or cruising down the Amazon River, her catchy original songs will have everyone singing, dancing, and maybe even learning a little Spanish, in this multi-cultural experience.
- Watch on Monday, June 7 at 11 a.m.
- Nathalia uses a creative bilingual approach to engage families in a fun-filled musical concert. With themes like space exploration, dinosaurs, or cruising down the Amazon River, her catchy original songs will have everyone singing, dancing, and maybe even learning a little Spanish, in this multi-cultural experience.
- Rally Readers Storytime with Angels Baseball
- Be a Rally Reader and tune in for a storytime hosted by Angels Baseball for a chance to win a meal card from Chick-fil-A!
- Watch on Tuesday, June 8 at 11 a.m.
- Watch on Thursday, July 29 at 11 a.m.
- Be a Rally Reader and tune in for a storytime hosted by Angels Baseball for a chance to win a meal card from Chick-fil-A!
- Franklin Haynes Marionettes: The Princess and the Pirates
- Pirate Jack Cannonball locks up Princess Rachel on Skull Island. To free the Princess, her brother John, his trusty pirate dog Treasure, and his pirate friends have to get Cannonball to laugh! Polly the Parrot narrates the pirate adventure, and keeps the pirate jokes coming!
- Watch on Monday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
- Pirate Jack Cannonball locks up Princess Rachel on Skull Island. To free the Princess, her brother John, his trusty pirate dog Treasure, and his pirate friends have to get Cannonball to laugh! Polly the Parrot narrates the pirate adventure, and keeps the pirate jokes coming!
- Open Mic Night
- Poets, singers, songwriters, storytellers, and listeners are welcome! This program is open to performers and spectators of all ages and includes a featured reading by a local published author.
- Watch on Thursday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m.
- Poets, singers, songwriters, storytellers, and listeners are welcome! This program is open to performers and spectators of all ages and includes a featured reading by a local published author.
- The Art Loony Show
- Arty Loon’s uproarious variety show will capture imaginations, ignite creativity, and inspire children to discover their own world of amazing stories featuring astonishing magic, comedy, puppetry, juggling, and balloons.
- Watch on Monday, June 21 at 11 a.m.
- Arty Loon’s uproarious variety show will capture imaginations, ignite creativity, and inspire children to discover their own world of amazing stories featuring astonishing magic, comedy, puppetry, juggling, and balloons.
- The Sparkle and Fly Show with Rebecca Martin
- Tales of imagination, fairies, unicorns, and dragons from around the world! Let’s explore the realms of these magical creatures through enchanting stories, brought to life with characters, puppets, and songs.
- Watch on Monday, June 28 at 11 a.m.
- Tales of imagination, fairies, unicorns, and dragons from around the world! Let’s explore the realms of these magical creatures through enchanting stories, brought to life with characters, puppets, and songs.
- Doodlebugs Animal Adventures
- Join us for a fun storytime plus live animal friends! We will nurture each child's innate wonder of the world around them. We will build empathy and a sense of connection with all living things. We will encourage children to ask questions, explore using all their senses, and embrace their role as stewards of this beautiful planet.
- Watch on Monday, July 12 at 11 a.m.
- Join us for a fun storytime plus live animal friends! We will nurture each child's innate wonder of the world around them. We will build empathy and a sense of connection with all living things. We will encourage children to ask questions, explore using all their senses, and embrace their role as stewards of this beautiful planet.
- APL's Rock Band Presents: Your Favorite Characters with a Color Your World Concert!
- Anaheim Public Library staff rocks out to classic children’s music dressed as your favorite book characters!
- Watch on Monday, August 2 at 11 a.m.
- Anaheim Public Library staff rocks out to classic children’s music dressed as your favorite book characters!
- Reimagine Your Favorite Books Through Zines
- This workshop series will introduce attendees to different types of zines, or handmade booklets, and show them how to create their own! Participants are encouraged to bring their favorite book to the virtual workshop to create a fanzine or a zine reflecting on the content of that book. Participants can pick up a kit with supplies from their neighborhood library branch. This workshop series is a collaboration with Able ARTs Work, an organization that provides lifelong learning, community service, and vocational opportunities through the creative arts for people of all abilities and all ages.
- Watch on Wednesday, June 16 at 11 a.m.
- Watch on Wednesday, July 14 at 11 a.m.
- Watch on Wednesday, August 4 at 11 a.m.
- This workshop series will introduce attendees to different types of zines, or handmade booklets, and show them how to create their own! Participants are encouraged to bring their favorite book to the virtual workshop to create a fanzine or a zine reflecting on the content of that book. Participants can pick up a kit with supplies from their neighborhood library branch. This workshop series is a collaboration with Able ARTs Work, an organization that provides lifelong learning, community service, and vocational opportunities through the creative arts for people of all abilities and all ages.
Watch virtual programs on the Library's Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube
- Wearable Art - Part 1: Dye Adventure
- Color your world and learn how easy it is to create fun colors with inexpensive, store-bought dyes. The Fiber Friends will teach you how to use dyes that add expressive colors to clothing and fabric from start to finish.
- Supplies: store-bought dye (such as Ritz) in two or more colors, a bucket with water, rubber bands, string, salt, tongs, or other stirring tool, nonsynthetic (cotton, silk, wool) t-shirt or piece of fabric. Optional: gloves.
- Watch on Thursday, June 3 at 11:30 a.m.
- Rad Rainbows
- Dive into the exciting world of rainbows with color mixing and chromatography with Miss Kimi!
- Supplies: washable markers, food coloring, paper towels, cups, and water.
- Watch on Thursday, June 10 at 11:30 a.m.
- Make a Kaleidoscope
- Color your world and learn how to make a DIY Kaleidoscope with Frankie Fiber!
- Supplies: Paper towel tube, 12" x 12" card stock or scrapbook paper, thin clear plastic (can be scrap from packaging), colorful translucent beads, cardboard, aluminum foil, marker, washi tape or other decorations, low melt glue gun, and scissors.
- Watch on Thursday, June 17 at 11:30 a.m.
- Stain Train!
- Hop on the stain train and create you very own stained-glass masterpiece at home. Learn all about stained glass from Mr. Sam.
- Supplies: Colored tissue paper, markers, white paper, white school glue, and scissors.
- Watch on Thursday, June 24 at 11:30 a.m.
- Wearable Art - Part II: Patterns with Dye
- Color your world in this follow-up to Wearable Art with the Fiber Friends! Learn how to take your knowledge of dyes to the next level by creating cool patterns on fabric and clothes! Participants will learn a few fundamental Shibori techniques using common household and/or office materials with inexpensive store-bought dyes.
- Supplies: store-bought dyes with two or more colors, salt, tongs or other stirring tool, bucket with water, rubber bands, string, a pair of wooden blocks of the same size (approx. 1-2 inches in width and 2-4 inches in length), and non-synthetic (cotton, silk, wool) t-shirt or piece of fabric. Optional: gloves.
- Watch on Thursday, July 1 at 11:30 a.m.
- Freezing Up Fun
- Learn about the science of ice cream! Miss Kimi will teach you how to make ice cream at home.
- Supplies: Rock salt, quart and gallon size plastic Zip lock bags, milk or cream, sugar, vanilla extract, measuring cups and spoons, bowls, and spoons.
- Watch on Thursday, July 8 at 11:30 a.m.
- Water Density
- Discover water density in this fun experiment with STEAM Mix-Master Emiliano!
- Supplies: Water, salt, sugar, food coloring, 4 or 5 cups, cherry or grape tomato, one large cylinder, spoon, funnel, straw, tape, and eyedropper or pipette.
- Watch on Thursday, July 15 at 11:30 a.m.
- Colorful Food Science
- Learn about food science and make Rainbow S’mores Dip, Rock Candy, & Walking Water with Mr. Sam.
- Rainbow S’mores Dip Supplies: Baking dish, chocolate chips, butter, marshmallows, toothpicks, and graham crackers.
- Rock Candy Supplies: water, sugar, skewers, jar, Kool-Aid packs, and one clothespin.
- Walking Water Supplies: water, food coloring, paper towels, and cups.
- Watch on Thursday, July 22 at 11:30 a.m.
- Learn about food science and make Rainbow S’mores Dip, Rock Candy, & Walking Water with Mr. Sam.
- Taste the Rainbow
- Discover the world of color theory in a tasty exploration of art and science with Le Juan.
- Supplies: 3 plastic or ceramic dinner plates, starbursts, skittles, M&Ms, and milk.
- Watch on Thursday, July 29 at 11:30 a.m.