What it is
The Read & Bead Summer Reading Club is a free literacy program for school aged children that encourages reading throughout the summer. This year we’re rewarding daily reading with brag tags and beads!
How does it work?
Starting June 27th come to the library to pick up a reading record and start tracking how long you read each day. Next come to the library and pick up a brag tag and beads. If you read for 15 minutes per day you get a colored bead, if you read for 30 minutes a day you get a silver bead, and an hour or more gets you a gold bead. That’s one bead per day. After seven weeks of reading you’ll have a necklace worth bragging about!
Everyone who completes their 7 weeks of reading also gets a certificate of completion and a medal.
All types of reading is encouraged in any language, from print books to audiobooks, podcasts, and oral stories. If you prefer to track your daily reading online go to www.bcsrc.ca to get started.
For youth age 12-18 interested in another kind of program check out the Teen Summer Contest.
Programs
To celebrate the Read & Bead Summer Reading Club we’re hosting a ton of programs at the library. There will be a week of Dungeons & Dragons, Bollywood dancing, movies, hula hooping, kazoo playing, a Pokemon character party, friendship bracelets for Swifties fans, cedar weaving, and an amazing week long Comic Book Camp with cartoonist and graphic novelist Kathleen Gros. Find out more about all the Read & Bead Summer Reading Club programs below:
Reading Walk
From July through August enjoy an outdoor reading walk on the library grounds. Follow the signs to read a picture book while you enjoy the great outdoors!
Sticker Mosaic
Ever wanted to do a mosaic with your whole community? Come to the library to create a sticker mosaic.
Dungeons & Dragons 101
Learn to play D&D in this five day program. You must attend all five days. Registration required. For age 9-18
July 2nd-6th, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Lego Block Party
Drop-in Lego building for children age 4-18
(4 year-olds must be accompanied by a caregiver).
Friday July 5th, 10:30 -11:30 am
Friday July 12th, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Friday July 19th, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Wednesday July 31st, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Saturday August 3rd, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Friday August 9th, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Wednesday August 14th, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Arts & Crafts
Drop-in for an hour of arts & crafts. For children age 5-18, children under 5 must be with a caregiver.
Saturday July 6th, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Wednesday July 10th, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Wednesday July 17th, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Wednesday August 7th, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Cardboard Rumpus Room
Drop-in and start building using MakeDo kid-friendly tools and lots of cardboard. For children age 5-18, children under 5 must be with a caregiver.
Tuesday July 9th, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Tuesday July 23rd, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Tuesday August 6th, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Firefighter Storytime
Come to a special storytime with a real firefighter. Ember the FireSmart Fox will visit and a real-life fire truck will be parked in the street. For children age 0-5.
Thursday July 11th, 10:30 – 11:00 am
Movie at the Library
It’s too hot! Come inside and cool off with a family friendly movie. Children under 6 must be accompanied by a caregiver. Popcorn provided. Drop-in.
Friday July 12th, 2:00 pm – Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (PG 1h42)
Friday July 19th, 2:00 pm – Wall-E (G 1h38)
Friday July 26th, 2:00 pm – The Super Mario Bros Movie (PG 1h32)
Friday August 9th, 2:00 pm – Kung Fu Panda 4
Swifties Make Friendship Bracelets
It’s a Taylor Swift fan party! Come listen to Taylor Swift music, paint 13 on your hand, and make friendship bracelets. For ages 9-18
Saturday July 13th, 11:00 am- 12:00 pm
Saturday August 3rd, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Hula Hooping
Have fun and move your body with a hula hoop! No experience necessary. For ages 9-13. Registration required.
Saturday July 13th 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Work together to solve a series of puzzles and break into the box. Registration required.
Tuesday July 16th, 3:00 – 4:00 pm: Breakout to Summer (age 9-12)
Tuesday July 30th, 3:00 – 4:00 pm: Movie Theatre Mix-up (age 12-18)
Cedar Weaving with Jessica Silvey
Jessica Silvey is a self taught weaver of Coast Salish and Portuguese descent, of the Silvey Family of Egmont, BC. She is a weaver and fabric artist who harvests and prepares their own materials. Under her guidance you’ll learn how to weave using cedar bark. For ages 7-12.
Registration required.
Saturday July 20th, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Comic Camp
Love comics or graphic novels? This is a 5 day camp with Vancouver based cartoonist and graphic novelist Kathleen Gross. Kathleen will spark your creativity and get students to create their own comics. Registration required. For age 8-12.
July 22nd -26th, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Kathleen Gros is a cartoonist living in Vancouver, BC. Her most recent graphic novel Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) was released in 2022. She is currently working on her next graphic novel, which will be released in 2025. Her other works include Jo: An Adaptation of Little Women (Sort Of) (HarperCollins 2020), Last Night at Wyrmwood High (Cloudscape Comics, 2015), and the webcomic Lunar Maladies (lunarmaladies.com, 2016-2020). She has contributed stories to several Cloudscape anthologies including Fantastic Frights, The Witching Hours, and Waterlogged: Tales of the Seventh Sea.
Read & Draw with Author Meneka Repka
Join Meneka as she reads from her upcoming picture book The Mango Monster and does a live drawing exercise. On Zoom. Registration required.
Wednesday July 24th, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Taste Test Challenge
A seriously ridiculous taste test challenge! Rate the best chips and do a blind taste test of yummy treats and unexpected foods. For age 9-13. Registration required.
Saturday July 27th, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Pokemon Scavenger Hunt
Pokemon are hiding in the library. Grab a pokedex and search them out for a prize. Better catch them all!
July 30th – August 3rd, all day
Pokemon Character Party
Drop-in for games and crafts featuring your favourite Pokemon characters. For ages 5-10
Thursday August 1st, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Elephant & Piggie Character Party
Drop-in for games and crafts featuring two of the funniest book characters, Elephant and Piggie. For ages 5-9
Thursday August 8th, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Bollywood Dance 
Learn some basic Bollywood dance moves. No experience necessary. For ages 8-18. Registration required.
Saturday August 10th, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Play the Kazoo
Learn to play the kazoo and take one home too! For ages 9-18. Registration required.
Tuesday August 13th, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
From Vancouver-based Foolish Operations comes Tricoter, a dance performance that reproduces the spirit of the knitting circle. Tricoter is performance directly followed a by a stay and play workshop using yarn as an inspiration for play and movement.
Registration required. Performance is for all ages, stay and play workshop is best for children age 3-11 and their caregivers.
Saturday August 17th, 11:00 -11:45 am
Medal Ceremony
The Read & Bead Summer Reading Club is over and it’s time to get your medal! Come to the library to celebrate your achievement. Wear your beaded brag tag necklace and don’t forget your completed reading record. Registration required
Saturday September 7th, 10:30 – 11:00am
Can’t make the medal ceremony? That’s ok! Come to the library with your completed reading record between August 19th and September 30th and we’ll give you a medal.