The Sedona Public Library’s 2023 Summer Reading Program “All Together Now!” will run from Saturday, June 3, through Saturday, July 29.

This year’s theme aims to connect children with literature as well as tie in a number of organizations throughout the Verde Valley.

The SPL program is part of a statewide initiative to reduce learning loss while students are not in the classroom. State librarian Holly Henley said that last year’s summer program saw over 107,500 Arizonans participate and read for 89,167,878 minutes.

Sedona kids are supposed to spend 1,000 minutes [about 16 and a half hours] reading for a suggested 20 minutes per day. Youth services librarian Viviane Kraus said that SPL keeps track of time spent and not the number of pages read because kids read at different rates.

Program registration will open on Monday, May 29, at the library or at sedonalibrary.org. Upon enrolling, participants receive a voucher for one free child admission for open recreational swim at the Sedona Community Pool. While the pass is valid through Tuesday, August 1, parents may want to redeem it for the library’s summer pool party with magician Jolly Roger on Saturday, June 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The pool pass is the first of a series of prizes offered at intervals up to the 1,000-minute mark. Arizona State Parks will be providing participants with a free day-use pass upon the completion of 500 minutes of reading. The completion prize will be either a slice of pizza and a soda from Famous Pizza or a doughnut from Sedonuts and Coffee; additional prizes and sponsors may be announced.

“Then all of the names go into a big prize drawing,” Kraus said. “I have to go pick up toys from Tlaquepaque Toy Town. They’ve donated age-appropriate toys for the different levels. And we’ll have gift cards. So we’re still collecting the official prize but we’ll have good stuff and I buy [more] items.”

A selection of youth events will take place on Mondays through Saturdays during the summer reading program:

Mondays: Toddler Play N’ Learn, 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. 

Tuesdays: Village of Oak Creek Story Time at SPL in the Village, 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. [closed Tuesday, July 4]

Wednesdays: Story Time at Sunset Park, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Thursdays: Youth music program, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.; chess, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Fridays: VOC Music and Movement, 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. [June only]

Language Classes

Intro to German: Monday, June 5 — Thursday, June 8, 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Intro to Hebrew: Monday, June 19 — Thursday, June 22, 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Intro to Spanish: Tuesday, July 11, Thursday, July 13, Tuesday, July 18 and Thursday, July 20, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Special Events

Planetarium Show and Reading Kickoff: Saturday, June 3, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Teen and Tween Movie Night: June 10, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Shawn Harris book signing: Saturday, July 8, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

“Let’s Learn About Beekeeping”: Saturday, July 15, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the courtyard

Arizona State Park Ranger Program: Saturday, July 22, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

“Sedona kids should join the summer reading program because it’s fun and it will bring them together with other kids and stories,” Kraus said. “And it will help their reading abilities in the process … plus there will be doughnuts, pizza and prizes along the way.”

Reading logs must be turned in by Saturday, Aug. 5, to enter the prize drawing.

For more information about youth events, visit www.sedonalibrary.libcal.com