MANATEE COUNTY, FL (April 4, 2025) – Ahoy, young readers! The Manatee County Library Summer Learning Program is back, inviting kids and teens, up to age 17, to embark on a reading journey from May 31 through August 1. Chart your course through books, earn fantastic rewards and discover the treasures of reading all summer long.

“This is a great opportunity to track progress all summer,” said Manatee County District 2 Commissioner and Library Board Liaison Amanda Ballard. “The incentives are bonuses to the real prize of learning.”

For every five hours of reading, participants earn a free book and an entry into the Grand-Prize raffle. Reading beyond 20 hours unlocks additional raffle entries and brings participants closer to the chance of becoming a Kid Librarian. Along the way, readers who reach 10 hours will earn a free round of mini golf at Smugglers Cove (with one paying golfer), and those who reach 20 hours will receive a ticket voucher to the Bradenton Marauders baseball game on August 2.

Participants can pre-register now on the Manatee Library Beanstack page and start logging reading hours for the Summer Learning Program on May 31 when the program starts. Grand-prize raffle prizes depend on age but include pirate-themed Squishmallow, wooden pirate ship craft, a pirate lego set and a drone.

Don’t miss this chance to set sail on a summer full of stories, prizes and fun!

Learn more about the Summer Learning Program

The 2025 Summer Learning Program is proudly sponsored by the Library Foundation of Manatee County.