June 13 – August 15, 2026
Welcome, adventurer!
This summer, the Carson City Library invites readers of all ages to Wander Beyond Words, an unforgettable reading adventure filled with dragons, quests, magical creatures, creative programs, and exciting prizes. Whether you’re reading your very first picture book or your hundredth novel of the year, every minute you spend reading brings you one step closer to unlocking new adventures.
Our Summer Reading Challenge is designed to inspire a lifelong love of reading while encouraging our community to explore, create, and connect all summer long.
How the Challenge Works
Getting started is easy!
- Sign up at the Carson City Library or through Beanstack.
- Pick up your Summer Reading materials.
- Read throughout the summer and log your reading minutes.
- Attend library programs, complete Reading Quest activities, and collect prizes along the way.
- Finish your reading goal before August 15 and join us for our Wrap-Up Celebration!
Reading Goals
Participants complete the challenge by reaching the reading goal for their age group.
- Ages 0–6: 10 hours (600 minutes)
- Ages 7–11: 20 hours (1,200 minutes)
- Ages 12–17: 30 hours (1,800 minutes)
- Adults (18+): 40 hours (2,400 minutes)
Every minute counts, whether you’re reading independently, listening to an audiobook, or reading together as a family.
Community Reading Goal
This year, we’re working together toward an incredible community milestone:
1,000,000 minutes read!
Every participant helps move our community closer to this goal. Throughout the summer, we’ll celebrate major reading milestones together and watch our progress climb toward one million minutes.
Community Sign-Up Goal
Our goal is to welcome 1,000 readers into this year’s adventure.
Invite your friends, family, neighbors, and classmates to join you. The more adventurers we have, the more magical our summer becomes!
Finish Line Goal
Our goal is to celebrate 350 Summer Reading Challenge finishers this year.
Complete your age group’s reading goal before August 15 to become one of this year’s finishers and earn your completion prize.
Sign-Up Prizes
Every participant receives a welcome prize when they register.
Each age group receives a special collection of themed goodies to help kick off their adventure, including a variety of items such as:
- Dragon-themed collectibles
- Fantasy bookmarks
- Stickers
- Fidget toys
- Dice
- Pens
- Bubble wands
- Coloring activities
- Reading Challenge materials
Each participant also begins their own fantasy journey with a themed keepsake to celebrate the adventure ahead.
Completion Prize
Readers who complete the Summer Reading Challenge will receive an articulated 3D-printed dragon created especially for this year’s theme.
It’s the perfect way to remember your summer adventure and celebrate reaching your reading goal.
Earn Even More with Reading Milestones
As you continue reading throughout the summer, you’ll unlock additional milestone prizes.
Readers can earn a variety of rewards including:
- Fantasy-themed stickers
- Temporary tattoos
- Keychains
- Bracelets
- Sticky dragons
- Notepads
- Pop fidget toys
- Scratch-off prizes
- Extra raffle tickets
- Special collectible rewards
The more you read, the more opportunities you’ll have to earn prizes!
Lanyard Button Challenge
Participants can also collect special buttons throughout the summer.
Earn up to 10 collectible buttons to decorate your Summer Reading lanyard. Completing your collection earns an additional bonus prize while supplies last.
Grand Prize Drawings
Every completed Summer Reading Challenge earns readers entries into our grand prize drawings.
Prizes vary by age group and include exciting items such as:
- Nintendo Switch prize packages
- Kindle eReaders
- Amazon Fire Kids tablets
- LEGO sets
- Movie theater prize baskets
- Creative activity kits
- Family prize bundles
- And much more!
More reading often means more opportunities to earn entries throughout the summer.
Reading Quest Activities
Reading isn’t the only adventure waiting for you.
Throughout the summer, participants can complete themed Reading Quest activities designed to encourage exploration, creativity, kindness, and discovery throughout Carson City.
Complete quests, discover new books, and create unforgettable summer memories.
Community Craft
Help us create a giant community art project!
Every participant is invited to decorate a dragon scale, which will become part of a collaborative dragon display celebrating everyone who joined this year’s adventure.
It’s a wonderful way to leave your mark on Summer Reading 2026.
Summer Programs
Summer Reading is packed with free programs for all ages.
Throughout the summer you’ll find opportunities like:
- Storytimes
- Saturday STEAM
- Read in the Park
- Dungeons & Dragons adventures
- Makerspace Workshops
- Pokémon Club
- Book Clubs
- Craft programs
- Science activities
- Special guest presenters
- Outdoor events
- Family programs
- Teen activities
- Adult programs
- Outreach events
Many programs are designed to complement the fantasy theme, giving families even more ways to explore the world of Wander Beyond Words.
Visit our Events Calendar for the latest schedule and registration information.
Celebrate With Us
Our adventure begins with our Summer Reading Kickoff Celebration and concludes with our exciting Wrap-Up Party on August 15.
The Wrap-Up Celebration is your chance to celebrate another incredible summer of reading with activities, prizes, and plenty of fun as we recognize everything our community accomplished together.
Why Participate?
Summer Reading is about much more than prizes.
Reading during the summer helps children maintain reading skills between school years, encourages lifelong learning for adults, strengthens families through shared reading, and builds a stronger, more connected community.
Every page turned, every audiobook listened to, and every minute logged helps create something bigger than ourselves—a community that values curiosity, imagination, and learning.
Whether your goal is to read one book or one hundred, we’re excited to have you join us.
We can’t wait to see where your adventure takes you.
Ready to begin? Sign up today and Wander Beyond Words with the Carson City Library!
