Blast Off into Summer Reading with the Peterborough Public Library on Saturday, June 20!
Peterborough, ON - The Peterborough Public Library is excited to invite families to kick off the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge on Saturday, June 20. Events are taking place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Main Library, 345 Aylmer St. N., and 2 p.m. to 3p.m. at the Miskin Law Community Complex Branch (MLCC), 271 Lansdowne St. W.
This summer, astronaut Patch the raccoon is heading on an out-of-this-world adventure across the solar system, and young readers are invited to join the mission. Every minute read helps fuel Patch’s rocket as they travel from planet to planet exploring space and helping the community work towards a reading goal of 300,000 minutes.
Children of all ages can participate by tracking their reading in a Summer Reading Challenge logbook or online through Beanstack at ptbolibrary.ca/Beanstack. Readers will earn badges, collect prizes, and discover new adventures along the way.
"The Summer Reading Challenge is a fun way to keep children engaged with reading throughout the summer while helping prevent the learning loss that can happen when school is out," said Karen Clysdale, Community Development and Programming Librarian for Children at the Peterborough Public Library. "By turning reading into a shared community goal, we're helping children build confidence, strengthen literacy skills, and discover the joy of reading while working together to reach 300,000 minutes."
Families can also browse a special Children’s Book Sale hosted by the Friends of the Library. The sale will take place at the Main Library from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., offering plenty of affordable summer reading options to help launch the challenge.
Families who are unable to attend the launch can still register for the Summer Reading Challenge throughout the summer at either library location.
Event Details
What: Summer Reading Challenge Launch
When: Saturday, June 20
Where: Main Library from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and the MLCC branch from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Who: Families with children ages 0 to 12
For more information, visit ptbolibrary.ca or contact Karen Clysdale, Community Development & Outreach Librarian at 705-745-5382 ext. 2362 or email kclysdale@peterborough.ca.