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Summer Reading Challenge 2026

Banner for Unearth a Story Summer Reading theme.

Patrons of all ages can par­tic­i­pate in the Unearth a Sto­ry 2026 Sum­mer Read­ing Chal­lenge. Reg­is­ter now at dekalbli​brary​.beanstack​.org. The chal­lenge runs from June 1 — July 312026.

Start­ing June 1, you can earn vir­tu­al badges (and a chance at prizes!):

dinosaurs made out of books
  • Young Chil­dren (0 – 5): Read books and par­tic­i­pate in activ­i­ties to earn vir­tu­al badges in Beanstack.
     
  • School-Age Chil­dren (612): Log time spent read­ing and par­tic­i­pate in activ­i­ties to earn vir­tu­al badges in Beanstack.
     
  • Teens (13 – 18) and Adults (19 and up): Record time spent read­ing and par­tic­i­pate in activ­i­ties to com­plete a vir­tu­al BIN­GO card in Beanstack.

WIN PRIZES! Free books, book bags, gift cards, Kin­dle Fires, jour­nals, prize packs with books & puz­zles, noise can­cel­ing head­phones, Kodak Instant Print cam­eras, and more! All read­ing and activ­i­ties must be logged by July 31, 2026.
 

Sum­mer Read­ing Kick­off Parties

Join us at our Sum­mer Read­ing Kick­off Par­ties where The Sci­ence Guys of Atlanta will lead us on a jour­ney from the deep­est reach­es of out­er space to the cen­ter of our plan­et. Learn about the con­di­tions that made life pos­si­ble on Earth with an inter­ac­tive and ener­getic pro­gram that explores the atmos­phere, changes over time, and even vol­canic eruptions! 

Upcom­ing Events

July 1st, 3:00 PM
Hairston Crossing LibraryFun ActivitiesTweensSchool Age
Make a tasty chocolatey treat at Hairston Crossing Library.
July 1st, 3:30 PM
Scott Candler LibraryFun ActivitiesTweensSchool Age
Use your imagination with LEGO. We provide all the LEGO pieces.
July 1st, 5:00 PM
Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown LibraryFun ActivitiesArts and CraftsTweensSchool Age
Have fun with fun activities that explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math in creative ways.
July 1st, 5:00 PM
Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg LibraryFun ActivitiesAdults
Join the Stone Mountain Chess Club. All skill levels are welcome. Ages teen to adult. Open to the first 12 participants.

The Unearth a Sto­ry 2026 Sum­mer Read­ing Chal­lenge is spon­sored by the DeKalb Library Foun­da­tion, Brave and Kind Book­shop, the San­dra Duna­gan Deal Cen­ter for Ear­ly Lan­guage and Lit­er­a­cy, the Geor­gia Pub­lic Library Ser­vice, King of Pops, Kids Next Code, Kids Video Con­nec­tion, Lit­tle Shop of Sto­ries, and Cre­at­ing Con­nect­ed Communities.

logos for summer reading sponsors