Summer Reading

Jacksonville is covered with all kinds of cool animal statues – jaguars, turtles, manatees and more! It can be really exciting when you spot one "out in the wild." While running to see a big blue statue of a manatee, three-year-old James was so excited that he got stuck in the mud and needed to be rescued by his grandmother. Hear this fun, true story with local author Ruth Lewis on August 4 at Beaches Branch Library. She'll also about family outings, real-life manatees, and more (intended for children ages 5 - 12).

Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of nearly 50 books for young readers, among them The Red Pencil and A Poem for Peter, as well as several collaborations with her husband Brian Pinkney, including Sit-In and Hand in Hand, which received the Coretta Scott King Book Award. Join us for a Junior Lit Chat with Andrea Davis Pinkney, Friday, June 16, from 4:30-5 p.m. live at the Brentwood Library. Intended for kids, ages 5-12. The first 50 kids in attendance will get a FREE copy of A Poem for Peter to take home. A reception and book signing will follow.

Make the Library - and reading - part of your summer from June 1 through August 12! Our theme this year, All Together Now, invites you to read, play and explore together with fun shows, programs, hands-on activities and, of course, all kinds of books! 

July is Graphic Novels in Libraries Month! Started in 2019 to bring attention to and promote the growing graphic novel and comics collections in our nation’s libraries, the month-long celebration coincides with the world’s biggest fandom event, San Diego Comic Con. In addition to highlighting collections and their accessibility through digital library apps like Hoopla, Graphic Novel Month is a great opportunity to show the range of formats, genres, characters and benefits that these mediums have to offer.

Join library staff on Friday evenings in July and August for a special Pop-Up Storytime to celebrate Summer at the Cummer! Library staff will present two Pop-Up Storytimes at 5:00 pm & 6:00 pm in the The Cummer Gardens. The Library will also have a table where you can sign up for a library card and check out books! No registration required. Bring the family to experience stories, songs, art, culture, and community this Summer at the Cummer!