Summer Reading

Summer Reading is an annual program that combines quality programs, challenges, and incentives to keep children, young adults, and adults reading and coming to our libraries throughout the summer. This year, the Summer Reading theme is "Unearth a Story."

Our libraries offer engaging programs by trained staff, community partners, and live performers. These include STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) elements that spark a love of learning through music, puppetry, theatre, story times, crafts, and other great programs. In addition, challenges with prizes and incentives excite and engage people of all ages.

Summer Reading is developed collaboratively with area public schools. The program supports school system initiatives by aligning public library programs with school literacy goals.

Research shows that students who don’t engage in learning activities during the summer can get caught in the “summer slide” and forget what they learned during the long break. By the end of 6th grade, students who lose reading skills over the summer are two years behind their classmates. Reading as few as four books can help students maintain – and even increase – their reading skills during the summer.

For every 20 minutes you read, color in a square on the grid provided. After you have read for 500 minutes, come in to your local library to pick out a free book to keep and be entered into a prize drawing. Prizes are available while supplies last.

Besides tracking your progress on the printed Reading Tracker bookmark, you can also register online or through the Beanstack Tracker app on your mobile device, available for download on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Kids and young adults: You do not have to have a library card to participate in Summer Reading, even if you’re just visiting for the summer. Adults do have to have a PWPL library card to participate in Adult Summer Reading.

You can read books, e-books, audiobooks, comics, graphic novels, and magazines. You can also ask a librarian for inspiration!

We have compiled Prince William County Public Schools and Manassas City Public Schools reading lists:

PWCS (2025):
Kindergarten | 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | 9th Grade | 10th Grade | 11th Grade | 12th Grade

MCPS (2025):
Picture Books/Primary | Elementary/Intermediate School | Middle School | High School

Although we encourage kids to come in to pick up their prizes, parents and guardians can get prizes or turn in Reading Tracker bookmarks without the child(ren) being present.

Don’t worry – if you come in and show us your Reading Tracker bookmark as you complete the grid, a staff member enters your accomplishments into our system. That way, if you accidentally lose your Reading Tracker bookmark, we can get you a new one right where you left off.

You can participate in any part of Summer Reading (June 15–August 16). If you know you’re going to be out of the area for most of the Summer Reading program, you may want to track your progress online or on the Beanstack Tracker app instead. You can enter your progress after you register, and our library staff will be able to see your progress when you visit us again. If you’re going to be away the whole time, we suggest you check out the summer reading program of the local library where you’re visiting or moving to.