Reading Challenge 

Visit the children’s reference desk to sign up for the reading challenge and receive your reading log, then keep track of each day you spend time reading and stop in for a prize after 17, 34, & 51 days!

If you read for at least 51 days, you’ll be entered into the grand prize drawing. There are several grand prize options on display in the display case near the children’s room. Each prize will have its own raffle, so you can choose what you’d like a chance to win. 

Registration and logging begin Monday, June 15. Anyone aged 0-12 can participate!

Lost your reading log? Download a new one here.

Email any questions to youth@berkleymi.gov or call us at 248-658-3440.

Events

We’ll have weekly activities and storytimes throughout the summer. The full list is below.

You can find details and registration for all library events (year-round) here.

Download a flyer of all the summer events here!

Registration is required unless otherwise noted. You can sign up by clicking on the event title. 

Registration opens 4 weeks before the program date.
 

Family Storytime
Alternating Tuesdays at 10:30am
June 16 & 30, July 14 & 28 

• Join us for stories, rhymes, and songs! Activities will focus on ages 2-6, but all ages are welcome. No registration required.

Storytime in the Park: Bacon Park (3765 Webster)
Monday, June 22 at 12:00 PM 

• Co-hosted by Berkley Library and Berkley Parks and Rec, this storytime will feature a Royal Oak Leprechauns baseball player and their mascot! No registration required. Recommended for ages 3-7.

Evening Storytimes at the Library
Mondays, June 29 & July 20 at 7:00 PM 

• Join us for a special edition of storytime between dinner and bedtime! Kids are welcome to come in pajamas. No registration required. Recommended for ages 2-6.

Community Storytime: Berkley Chop Shop (2758 Coolidge)
Wednesday, July 15 at 1:00 PM 

• We’re bringing storytime into the community! Join us outside the library and get to know a business in Berkley. No registration required. Recommended for ages 2-6.

Baby Playtime
Thursdays at 10:30am
June 18 & 25, July 2, 9, 16, & 23, August 6

• Enjoy open-ended play with your infant and social interaction with other families. Our toys are best suited for 6 months-3 years. Siblings welcome. No registration required.

Crafty Tuesdays
Alternating Tuesdays at 10:30am
Recommended for ages 5-12.

• 6/23: Decorate a flower pot
• 7/7: Sand art
• 7/21: Fairy houses
• 8/4: Tiny art creation

Read to a Dog
5:00-7:00pm

• Make your reading even more fun by sharing a book with a friendly certified therapy dog! Sign up for a 15-minute time slot at the links below:
  • Frodo: Fridays 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM on 6/26, 7/24, and 8/7 
  • Tikaani: Wednesdays 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM on 6/10 and 7/15 
  • Bonnie: Thursdays & Mondays 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM on 6/18, 7/20, and 8/6 

June

Ice Cream Social
Monday, June 15, 6:00-8:00pm

• Sign up for the reading challenge and enjoy some ice cream! The party is hosted by the Friends of Berkley Public Library. No registration required.

Living Fossils
Wednesday, June 17, 6:30pm

• Meet live animals and learn how prehistoric adaptations still thrive today! Recommended for ages 5-12.

Science Heroes: Digging It!
Wednesday, June 24, 6:30pm

• Unearth your curiosity as we dig into the incredible science all around us! Recommended for ages 5-12.

Messy Play: Shaving Cream
Friday, June 26, 10:30am

• Messy play is great for your child’s development, but can be stressful at home, so come join us for some messy fun at the library! We’ll have several shaving cream activities available. Recommended for ages 18 mos.-5 yrs.

Dinner and a Movie: Dinosaur
Tuesday, June 30, 6:00pm

• Bring your dinner to the library and enjoy a screening of Dinosaur (PG)! We’ll provide dessert. In this animated Disney film, dinosaurs embark on a perilous journey to a far-off paradise following a meteor shower. Recommended for ages 5-12.

July

Stone Mosaics
Wednesday, July 8, 2:00pm

• Create a piece of art using colored stones! Recommended for ages 5-12.

Vintage Tech and Toy Petting Zoo
Friday, July 10, 12 - 6pm

• Drop in and get some hands-on time with prehistoric video game systems, rotary phones, cassette decks, retro toys, and more! For all ages. 

Toniepalooza Party and Tonie Swap
Sunday, July 12, 1:00pm | Dorothea Pocket Park

• Celebrate BPL’s new Tonies collection with activities, swag, giveaways, and even a Tonie swap! Bring your old Tonie(s) and take home a new-to-you character you’ll love! 

The Silly-Saurus Show
Monday, July 13, 6:30pm

• A rollicking adventure of laughter, silliness, and imagination with a Jurassic twist! Recommended for ages 2-7.

Stuffed Animal Vet Clinic
Friday, July 17, 10:30am

• Meet a local vet who will bandage up your stuffed animals’ booboos! Recommended for ages 3-7.

OpenSpot Theater
Thursday, July 23, 2:00pm

• Experience the three pillars of theater--singing, dancing, and acting-- and then put them all together into a short play you’ll perform at the end of the workshop! Recommended for ages 5-12.

Early Reader Book Club: Fly Guy
Monday, July 27, 5:00pm

• Read at least one book in the Fly Guy series by Tedd Arnold, then join us for a book discussion and some activities! Adults, please send your kids in for the discussion on their own and then we’d love for you to join in during the activities. Recommended for ages 5-8.

Worm Motels 
Wednesday, July 29, 2:00pm

• Who says worms can’t relax in a cozy motel?! Explore a worm’s world by building a temporary worm habitat and learning about all of the needs of living things. Recommended for ages 5-12.

Harry Potter's Birthday
Friday, July 31, 10:00am - 6:00pm

• Celebrate Harry Potter’s birthday with a Golden Snitch scavenger hunt and some simple activities! 

August

Baffling Bill
Tuesday, August 4, 6:30pm

• Join Baffling Bill and Gus the Bunny for a comedy magic show! Recommended for ages 3-12.

Reading Challenge

Visit the adult reference desk to sign up for the reading challenge and receive your reading log. Log any 3 activities to win a book; log 3 more to complete the program and win another prize! 

Lost your reading log? Download a new one here.

Email any questions to youth@berkleymi.gov or call 248-658-3440.

Downtown Mural Scavenger Hunt

You’ll receive a copy of the mural scavenger hunt when you sign up for the reading challenge. You can also download a copy here.

All teens who turn it in by August 7 will be entered into a prize drawing!

Events

We have events and take-home kits throughout the summer, and they count toward completing your reading log! Registration is required unless otherwise noted. The full list is below–sign up by clicking on the event title. Registration opens 4 weeks before the program date. 

You can find details and register for all library events (year-round) here.

Download a flyer of all the summer events here.

June

Ice Cream Social
Monday, June 15, 6:00-8:00pm

• Sign up for the reading challenge and enjoy some ice cream! The party is hosted by the Friends of Berkley Public Library. No registration required.

Stone Mosaics
Thursday, June 25, 2:00pm

• Create a piece of art using colored stones! 

July

Summer Berry Icebox Cake
Tuesday, July 7, 2:00pm

• Celebrate America250 with a red, white, and blue summery no-bake cake! 

Vintage Tech and Toy Petting Zoo
Friday, July 10, 12 - 6pm

• Drop in and get some hands-on time with prehistoric video game systems, rotary phones, cassette decks, retro toys, and more! No registration required. For all ages.

Friendship Bracelets
Wednesday, July 22, 2pm

• Turn beads into bracelets to wear and share!

Tiny Art Canvas Painting
Wednesday, July 22, 6-8pm

• Create a mini-masterpiece for the Library’s Tiny Art Show! Artwork can also be created at home and turned in by August 31. Mini canvases are available starting July 6.

August

Clay Diffuser Discs Kit
Pick up August 3 - 7

• Use air-dry clay to make textured discs you can use as air fresheners, decorations, or necklaces! 

Berk-It Reading Challenge: June 15 - August 7

Announcing “Berk-It,” a play on the classic “Book-It” reading challenge!  Log your reading, attend library programs, and enjoy summer activities to earn a personal pizza from Amici’s Kitchen & Living Room in Berkley! Visit the reference desk at the library to sign up.

Lost your activity log? Click here to download a new one!

Any questions? Send us a message at library@berkleymi.gov.