Summer Reading 2026
This year's theme is Unearth a Story. Summer Reading for all ages will run from June 1st to September 9th. Using our Beanstack app you can log books and submit reviews for everything you read this summer and complete fun activities for a chance to win prizes in the appropriate age category. Visit our Beanstack page to learn more about the app and get signed up.
Below are special library events for children across the county. Click the links below or call the branch to register.
Programs below are for children ages 0-12 and their families. Please check the age range of individual events to find events for your family.
Dinosaur tracks lead right to your library! Have no fear, Dinoman is here!
Tuesday, August 11, 10:00 AM – Long Beach Island
Tuesday, August 11, 2:30 PM – Jackson
Tuesday, August 11, 6:30 PM – Toms River
Wednesday, August 12, 10:00 AM – Waretown
Wednesday, August 12, 2:30 PM – Berkeley
Wednesday, August 12, 6:00 PM – Manchester
Join us for a fun-for-all-ages one-man comedy and circus show.
Wednesday, July 8, 10:30 AM – Little Egg Harbor
Wednesday, July 8, 2:30 PM – Barnegat
Wednesday, July 8, 6:00 PM – Berkeley
Thursday, July 9, 2:00 PM – Upper Shores
Thursday, July 9, 6:00 PM – Manchester
Make a dinosaur themed terrarium featuring real plants.
Tuesday, July 14, 2:00 PM – Jackson
Monday, July 20, 10:30 AM – Island Heights
Monday, July 20, 1:00 PM – Upper Shores
Tuesday, July 21, 11:00 AM – Waretown
Paint Class with Lil' Monsters Art
Celebrate summer with a guided canvas paint class.
Tuesday, July 21, 10:00 AM – Toms River
Tuesday, July 21, 12:00 PM – Beachwood
Tuesday, July 21, 2:30 PM – Little Egg Harbor
Glow Paint Party with Lil' Monsters Art
Join Lil’ Monsters Art for a unique glow paint experience.
Wednesday, June 24, 10:30AM – Plumsted*
Enjoy an interactive STEM show.
Thursday, July 23, 6:00 PM – Brick**
Monday, July 27, 10:30 AM – Island Heights
Monday, July 27, 2:00 PM – Tuckerton
Monday, July 27, 6:00 PM – Waretown
NJ Snake Man: Reptiles & Amphibians
Experience hands‑on encounters with snakes, lizards, frogs, and turtles and learn about each animal.
Tuesday, July 14, 11:00 AM – Barnegat
Tuesday, July 14, 2:30 PM – Tuckerton
Tuesday, July 14, 6:00 PM – Upper Shores
Thursday, July 23, 11:00 AM – Lacey
Thursday, July 23, 2:30 PM – Point Beach
Thursday, July 23, 6:00 PM – Manchester
Unearth a Story (in the Sky!) - Planetarium Show
Join us as we tell the stories we've learned about cultures throughout the world through the study of ancient sites and objects!
Monday, July 13, 10:30 AM – Toms River**
Monday, July 13, 2:30 PM – Toms River**
See, touch, and learn about reptiles, including snakes, lizards, and turtles.
Thursday, July 30, 1:00 PM – Point Borough
Thursday, July 30, 3:30 PM – Lakewood
Thursday, July 30, 6:00 PM – Barnegat
Unearth a Magical Story Magic Show
Join Magician Steve Woyce for a family magic show packed with tons of dinosaur fun.
Wednesday, June 24, 2:30 PM – Tuckerton*
Wednesday, August 5, 10:30 AM – Plumsted
Wednesday, August 5, 2:30 PM – Lakewood
Wednesday, August 5, 6:00 PM – Point Borough
Prehistoric Fun! Live Animal Show by Unique Creatures
Dinosaurs may be long gone, but animals from their time are closer than you think!
Monday, August 3, 12:00 PM – Upper Shores*
Monday, August 3, 2:00 PM – Long Beach Island
Monday, August 3, 4:00 PM – Brick
Monday, August 3, 6:30 PM – Plumsted
Rock & Rhyme with Mr. Jon & Friends
Join Mr. Jon & Friends for an interactive musical comedy show for the whole family.
Monday, July 27, 10:00 AM – Little Egg Harbor
Monday, July 27, 1:00 PM – Beachwood
Monday, July 27, 4:00 PM – Brick
Tuesday, July 28, 10:00 AM – Manchester
Tuesday, July 28, 1:00 PM – Point Borough
Premier Picnic & Party Workshops
Learn to become a magician, paint, and explore gemstones and fossils with Debby Pease!
Wednesday, July 15, 2:00 PM - Jackson
Monday, August 17, 10:30 AM – Lacey
Monday, August 17, 1:00 PM – Point Beach
Monday, August 17, 4:00 PM – Lakewood
Tuesday, August 18, 11:00 AM – Beachwood
Tuesday, August 18, 2:00 PM – Brick
Tuesday, July 14, 2:30 PM – Island Heights
Wild Jersey Programs
Learn about real crystal geodes and how they form. Then make your own Borax crystal geode from seashells!
Saturday, August 15, 11:00 AM – Plumsted**
Tuesday, August 18, 2:00 PM – Toms River*
Be a paleontologist for a day as we excavate real fossils from a mock rock.
Wednesday, July 22, 10:30 AM – Plumsted**
Tuesday, July 28, 2:00 PM – Toms River*
Look for gemstones in a mock rock, then clean and identify them. Children will take home the gemstones they find.
Wednesday, July 15, 11:00 AM – Tuckerton**
Thursday, July 30, 10:30 AM – Berkeley
Learn how fossils teach us about living things of long ago. Children will examine some real fossils, and then make their own fossil impression to keep.
Thursday, August 13, 10:30 AM – Berkeley
Enjoy a STEAM-based, hands-on learning experience.
Wednesday, August 19, 11:00 AM – Jackson
Enjoy stories and live animals from Cattus Island County Park.
Wednesday, July 1, 11:00 AM – Tuckerton
Fun, comedy and education collide with up close encounters with some of our planet’s most fascinating creatures.
Thursday, July 2, 3:00 PM – Brick*
Join Insectropolis to learn about these often-misunderstood tiny animals.
Monday, August 10, 2:30 PM – Brick*
Visit with and learn about alpacas with Out of Sight Alpacas.
Friday, August 21, 12:00 PM – Upper Shores*
Learn about therapy horses and their care.
Tuesday, August 4, 1:00 PM – Upper Shores*
Jump Into Dinosaurs with Jumping Jamie
Join Jumping Jamie for a roaring prehistoric adventure.
Saturday, June 20, 11:30 AM – Waretown
Join us for a whimsical tea party inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
Saturday, July 25, 11:00 AM – Waretown*
Join us for a fun music program designed just for kids!
Thursday, August 20, 11:00 AM – Waretown*
Meet our Wonderous Woman Hero and listen to stories.
Tuesday, July 28, 2:30 PM – Berkeley*
This foot-stompin' musical adventure turns science into music and learning into play.
Tuesday, June 23, 11:00 AM – Island Heights**
Learn about fabric selection, armor crafting, wig styling, and the latest trends in cosplay technology. You'll get hands on experience and end with a cosplay design challenge. Please register as space is limited.
Tuesday, July 14th
- 11:00am – PLUMSTED
Tuesday, July 28th
- 11:00am – WARETOWN
Tuesday, August 4th
- 11:00am – LONG BEACH ISLAND
Tuesday, August 11th
- 11:00am – ISLAND HEIGHTS
New Jersey’s Precious Pinelands with Jenkinson’s Aquarium
During this live program teens will meet animal ambassadors to learn all about the history of the New Jersey’s Precious Pinelands, vast oak-pine forests, and the diverse wildlife. We will meet animal ambassadors to learn about their differences and how they adapt to their habitats.
Wednesday July 22nd
- 1:00pm – UPPER SHORES
- 3:00pm – PLEASANT BOROUGH
Monday, July 27th
- 1:00pm – BRICK
- 3:00pm – JACKSON
Wednesday, July 29th
- 1:00pm – BARNEGAT
- 3:00pm – LITTLE EGG HARBOR
Bugs on the Go with Insectropolis
Join us as we learn about bugs. Insectropolis will have a variety of live critters and pinned specimens.
Tuesday, July 21st
- 1:00pm – TOMS RIVER
- 3:00pm – LAKEWOOD
Thursday, July 30th
- 1:00pm – TUCKERTON
- 3:00pm – WARETOWN
Tuesday, August 4th
- 12:30pm – PLUMSTED
- 3:00pm – ISLAND HEIGHTS
Join Chef Brian for a live cooking demonstration where you'll learn how to make delicious anime-inspired dishes inspired by your favorite shows. Potential allergens.
Wednesday, July 29th
- 6:00pm – LACEY
Wednesday, August 5th
- 6:00pm – MANCHESTER
Wednesday, August 12th
- 6:00pm – POINT BOROUGH
Wednesday, August 19th
- 6:00pm - BARNEGAT
Watercolor with Westwood & Quinn - Ink Sketch & Watercolor Painting - Ancient Ruins
Sketch ancient ruins with fine liner pens and bring it to life with watercolor. For ages 13-18.
Tuesday, July 21st
- 6:00pm – BERKELEY
Wednesday, July 22nd
- 6:00pm – LAKEWOOD
Watercolor with Westwood & Quinn - Watercolor Wash and Splatter Painting - Dinosaur
Create a colorful watercolor background using wash and splatter techniques around a dinosaur silhouette.
Tuesday, August 11th
- 6:00pm – Upper Shores
Thursday, August 13th
- 6:00pm – Little Egg Harbor
The Sky Tonight - Planetarium Show
Join us for an unforgettable day of stargazing from the comfort of the Library. Discover the wonders of the night sky in a portable indoor planetarium dome. Tom Barry, also known as "That Planetarium Guy," uses state-of-the-art software and projector technology to make the universe above Ocean County come alive. You will explore constellations, planets, meteor showers and more.
Tuesday, July 28th
- 11:00am – TOMS RIVER
- 3:00pm - BRICK
Monday, August 3rd
- 11:00am - LAKEWOOD
- 3:00pm - JACKSON
Thursday, August 6th
- 11:00am - BERKELEY
- 3:00pm – BARNEGAT
Blending Fun With Amy for Teens: Iced Coffee Barista Edition
Enjoy this hands-on workshop with Amy Paradise. Attendees will learn about prepping iced brown sugar shaken espresso, iced whipped coffee, homemade sweet creamers, homemade cold foam. Potential allergens.
Tuesday, July 14th
- 12:00pm - BEACHWOOD
- 3:00pm -LACEY
Wednesday, July 15th
- 12:00pm - MANCHESTER
- 3:00pm - BARNEGAT
Thursday, July 16th
- 12:00pm – LONG BEACH ISLAND
- 3:00pm - TUCKERTON
This volunteer program allows teens the opportunity to serve their community while learning, sharing and having fun at the same time! The teen volunteer program, Service and Achievement In the Library (S.A.I.L) is offered to teens that have completed at least 7th grade. Applications are available beginning May 1st.
The 2026 Teen Summer Reading Challenge is Adventure Begins in your Library. The reading challenge runs on Beanstack from June 1st –September 9th. Two system winners will be chosen on September 14th.
Check back for Summer Reading 2026!
Check back for Summer Reading 2026!
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