byJerri Heid

Summer reading and activities are back at your Ames Public Library! Thanks to technology the Library has continued reading challenges and activities throughout the pandemic, but this summer will be more like a normal summer.

For youth, a normal summer means school’s out. It means time for activities, reading, and exploring and learning in a different way than they do in a classroom. After a hectic school year, participating in special Library events and the reading challenge can help your family relax, return to a familiar routine, and refocus.

This year’s summer reading challenge is open to all ages. You can pick up the game board at the Library or sign up online or on the Beanstack Tracker app. The Library will also be a site for free summer lunches for youth again this year. Lunches are available weekdays from 11:45am-12:45pm in the Auditorium.

As always, the Library has a calendar full of storytimes, book groups, interactive fun, and special shows. Many of our events for youth will be held outdoors in parks thanks to our partnership with City of Ames Parks and Recreation. We will also have a few special events right outside the Library!

If you’re looking for a storytime that you can bring books home from, come to Bookmobile Storytime Mondays at 10 am in June and July. You can check out materials at the Bookmobile, enjoy a story, music, and an activity. Bookmobile Storytime will visit a different park each week. Our other Storytimes in the Park will begin June 22 on Tuesdays at 2pm and Thursdays at 6:30pm. These storytimes will feature books and activities at various parks around the Ames community without shelters. To find out where each Bookmobile Storytime and Storytime in the Park will be, check our online calendar.

Storytime with Ben will be held Wednesdays at 10am right outside the Library in the plaza area. Families with toddlers and preschoolers are invited for music and stories. Staring June 23, bring your infant to Bandshell Park Wednesdays at 11am for Baby Time in the Park.

We’re also holding our popular Terrific Tuesdays at Bandshell Park this summer. Tuesdays at 10am, join us for a free show featuring a variety of professional performers. These events range from music and magic to dance parties to science fun. Bring a blanket, bring your friends and family, and enjoy 45 minutes of entertainment that colors your world!

Kids can also get in on the book club fun this summer. Gamebooking with Ben is perfect for 2^nd-4^th graders who love adventure or tales of danger and always wanted to make the decisions for book characters. Ben will bring the books to this Zoom book club Thursdays at 2pm; all the kids need to bring is their wits!

We’ll have a Family Book Club featuring a chapter book. Come to Bandshell Park Tuesday, June 29, at 6pm to unwrap the surprise book and get your free copy to take home and read. We’ll meet up again July 27 to talk about the book enjoy related activities. Want a hint what the book might be? Listen to KHOI Radio on Monday, June 21 at noon; we’ll read a few selected chapters on the air! 

Kids can join the statewide 2021 Kids All Iowa Reads with Ames Public Library’s book club featuring Remy Lai’s “Pie in the Sky.” Come to Bandshell Park Tuesday, June 22, at 4pm to get your free copy of the book and a take-home activity. Come back on July 20 to talk about the book and have some fun. We’re excited to announce that Remy Lai will have a virtual author visit on July 13!

Ames Public Library is also partnering with Dog-Eared Books for a virtual author visit with Stonewall Award winning author Kyle Lukoff June 26 at 4pm.

Check our calendar for more special events for kids, including tie-dying, summer Olympics, water day, and more! You can also sign up for our e-mail newsletter or follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date all year long.