Yuma County libraries launch summer reading challenge, Unearth a Story

Yuma County Library District is betting that free books, raffle tickets and hands-on programs can help families push back the summer slump before school lets out for good. Its 2026 Summer Reading Program begins May 30 and runs through July 18, with events scheduled June 1 through July 18 across the county.

The challenge, themed Unearth a Story, is open to readers of all ages and can be tracked through the Beanstack app or website. Klarissa Fausto, the district’s community relations coordinator, said the program is the library’s biggest annual event, in part because it gives parents a no-cost way to keep children, teens and adults reading during the long break. Reading aloud counts, too, which means families with younger children can take part together instead of treating the challenge like a solo assignment.

That matters in Yuma County, where working parents often need structured, low-cost activities that can fill several weeks of summer without adding to the household budget. Each completed challenge earns a virtual raffle ticket for prizes, adding a small incentive to regular reading. The district is also pairing the challenge with event programming meant to make each branch feel more like a summer destination than a quiet stop for checkout and return.

The lineup includes dinosaur egg hatching, dino hunts and excavations, amber slime, appearances by Wildman Phil and his wildlife animals, and educational performances from the Wacky Science Show, which is new this year. Fausto said all of it is free and open, though some of the larger presenters may use a ticket system and visitors are encouraged to arrive early. Those details make the schedule workable for families who need to plan around work, camp pickups and other summer obligations.

The district’s eight branches serve Yuma County as a center for information, community enrichment, recreational reading and lifelong learning, and the summer program fits that mission closely. The Heritage Library deepens that role with archives, manuscripts, oral histories and photograph collections tied to Yuma’s history, a reminder that the district is not only lending books but preserving the county’s story.

Summer reading programs have a long history in public libraries. The American Library Association says they began in the 1890s to encourage children to read during summer vacation, use the library and build the habit of reading. Education researchers still treat summer learning loss as a real concern, and the National Center for Education Research is continuing to study which parts of summer reading programs most help K-5 students. In Yuma County, this year’s answer starts with a free challenge, a familiar app and a calendar full of reasons to show up.