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The Free Library of Philadelphia Announces Summer of Wonder 2025
Philly’s flagship summer reading program features a wide range of fun and educational activities for children, teens, and adults
PHILADELPHIA - The Free Library of Philadelphia announced the return of its popular summer reading program, Summer of Wonder, for the 2025 season.
"Summer of Wonder is designed to inspire and engage young readers throughout the summer months,” said Kelly Richards, President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia. “We believe that by offering a fun and motivating program, we can help children maintain or improve their reading skills while fostering a lifelong love of reading. This initiative also helps keep youth engaged while out of school and creates a community of enthusiastic readers."
Summer of Wonder, in various forms, has been around for over 100 years, offering librarian-designed programs and activities for youth, teens, and adults. The program is held across all 54 library locations and includes online options so every Philadelphian can engage all summer.
Participants can keep track of reading and library activities using take-home Summer of Wonder Activity Logs (available in 13 languages) and earn prizes upon completion. Programming in neighborhood libraries this year includes familiar favorites like the Center for Aquatic Sciences, Claymobile, Snakes Alive, South Street Art Mart, Taffy’s Face Painting, Thembi Palmer, Two of a Kind, and more.
“Summer of Wonder is a fantastic way to engage with our community and promote literacy and learning in a fun, accessible manner,” said Christine Caputo, Chief of Youth Services and Programs, Free Library of Philadelphia. “We are thrilled to offer programs that entertain and enrich the minds of Philadelphians of all ages!”
In partnership with The Franklin Institute, the Free Library is also offering Science in the Summer, a program to increase children’s confidence in doing science. The 2025 theme is “Be a Health Scientist,” encouraging children to explore roles of different types of health scientists, including dietitian, athletic trainer, epidemiologist, orthopedic doctor, and cardiologist.
The program is made possible through generous support from the Philadelphia City Institute Board of Managers, Kline & Specter, Osage Partners, Fulton Bank, the Hamilton Family Charitable Trust, Innovations Communications, Inc., and the in-kind support of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Summer of Wonder programming starts on Monday, June 9, 2025, and runs until Friday, August 8, 2025. Interested participants can sign up at their neighborhood library or online at the Summer of Wonder website. Each neighborhood library features curated programs and activities for its neighborhood, as well as prizes and summer reading books. For a complete listing of all upcoming events, visit freelibrary.org/calendar.
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About the Free Library of Philadelphia
The Free Library of Philadelphia system, with 54 locations and The Rosenbach, advances literacy, guides learning, and inspires curiosity with millions of digital and physical materials; 31,000 yearly programs and workshops; free public computers and extensive Wi-Fi; and rich special collections, including those at the Parkway Central Library and The Rosenbach. With more than 5 million in-person visits and 5 million more online annually, the Free Library and The Rosenbach are among the most widely used educational and cultural institutions in Philadelphia and boast a worldwide impact.
06/04/2025
Department of External Affairs, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1189
(215) 567-7710, FAX (215) 567-7850