July 28, 2026
Dinosaurs, digging, discovery, and a whole lot of fun for all ages. Those have been the ingredients of Bloomfield Township Public Library’s 2026 Summer Reading Challenge. On Friday, August 7, the dinosaurs will depart, and the multi-month Jurassic-themed Challenge will conclude with the Summer Reading Wrap Up Event to be held at the Library from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
The culminating event will feature an afternoon of digging and building inside and outside the Library with outdoor art, games, and activities for all ages. Attendees can then cool off with treats for purchase from the Kona Ice food truck. Musical guest Randy Kaplan will also perform sing-along summer tunes from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
This year, a total of 800 residents participated in the June-August Summer Reading Challenge, an annual themed event during which participants of all ages and reading abilities log their reading to earn rewards and multiple chances to win prizes after hitting reading milestones or completing activities.
This summer’s theme, Unearth A Story, featured dinosaurs and archeological discovery and had participants of all ages uncovering adventure-filled books and exploring hands-on crafts and kits. Challenge participants and other community members also enjoyed a full slate of Library programs, such as: Make Your Own Dino Garden, an Archaeological Escape Room, and a University of Michigan Natural History Museum Workshop on Feathered Dinosaurs and Modern Birds. Over the course of the Summer Reading Challenge, the Library presented 38 programs in addition to its regular programming like book clubs and story times.
For added fun, the Library also did a Prize Patrol, going to the homes of 12 random winners in Bloomfield Township who received a bag full of Library-and reading-themed prizes if they had one of three artfully designed Library-issued lawn signs supporting the Library displayed when the Prize Patrol arrived.
“The annual Summer Reading Challenge is always a community favorite,” said Katherine Dupuis, Assistant Library Director at Bloomfield Township Public Library. “Summer is a time for having fun and strengthening family connections. Reading together is a wonderful way for families to bond, and the themed prizes and programs that are part of the Summer Reading Challenge – such as the upcoming Wrap Up event – add an extra level of fun. That is in part why people of all ages look forward to participating each year.”
After a summer full of Reading Challenge fun, the dinosaurs will depart the Library after a last hurrah at the Summer Reading Wrap Up Event, leaving a fond-yet-crater-sized impression on participants’ hearts.
No registration is required to attend the all-ages Summer Reading Wrap Up event, and both participants and non-participants in the Summer Reading Challenge are welcome to join the fun.
For more information, please call the Library at (248) 642-5800.
