Summer of Wonder is the Free Library's flagship summer reading challenge for all ages. Participants can attend library programs, find new books to read, and explore activities to stay engaged throughout the summer. Summer of Wonder starts on Monday, June 3, and runs until Friday, August 9, 2024.

Sign up at your neighborhood library or participate in an online challenge to start tracking your progress!

With the take-home Summer of Wonder Activity Logs in English and Spanish, children can keep track of their reading and library activities, rating their favorites (or most disliked). We’ve also included a maze, a word search, and — most excitingly — a fold-out map of Philadelphia, where kids can plot their Summer of Wonder progress with our specially designed, Philly-centric stickers. You can even mark off where you live with a “You Are Here”-style location sticker and have a bit of fun guessing and learning what the other stickers represent. Earn a special sticker for finishing your Log and great prizes along the way, like books, a popper keychain, Museum passes, and more, depending on your library.

Don’t forget to use a location sticker to mark where you live on the map! Discover what Philly stickers represent each section of the city!

Teens can pick up a Teen Raffle sheet, along with a Free Library of Philadelphia journal (while supplies last, quantities limited), then spend the summer reading and completing other activities on the sheet to win raffle entries. We’ve also included some fun writing and drawing prompts, for those who might need a little jump start for their creativity. And adults can get into the fun with their raffle at participating locations!

Additionally, all ages can participate in the accompanying online challenge, which mirrors the in-person program for those who can’t make it into the library regularly, providing an additional level of engagement for the most avid participants. Online users can earn digital badges by logging their reading, completing activities, and writing book reviews. Everything is done via Beanstack, which can be accessed either through a website or an app that is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Each neighborhood library tends to run Summer of Wonder a little differently, so be sure to stop by yours to see what's going on. Many libraries will be hosting kick-off events during the week of June 3. We can’t wait to see what you read and do this summer, so be sure to tag us on social media using the hashtag #summerofwonder.