What’s New at the Smiley? Well, I’m happy to share with you that the Summer Reading Program 2026 is new! This year’s theme is “Plant a Seed, Read.” Kicking off Thursday, June 18, at 10:00 a.m., babies, kids, and teens can register for the annual Summer Reading Game!
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This year the game will be B-I-N-G-O! A Bingo card filled with reading challenges and fun activities to complete will be given to each registrant. Please see one of the teen volunteers to register on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or see a Youth Services Crew member in the Young Readers’ Room.
The first show of the summer will be with Joe Gandelman and Friends in the Contemporary Club. Joe, who happens to be a ventriloquist, will have the audience in stitches as he and his friends wow the audience with humorous jokes and stories.
Following Joe at 10:45 a.m. in Smiley Park there will be a free lunch for all children ages 18 and younger. Lunch will be served until noon, or until supplies last… then, Joe and Friends will be back in the Contemporary Club at 2:00 p.m. for round two of his performance. The second show is exactly the same as the first show, just an additional time to accommodate different schedules for the audience.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider. The Summer Food Service Program is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, administered in California by the California Department of Education. Lunch at the Library is a project of the California State Library, supported with funds from the State of California. Redlands Unified School District will be providing a free lunch for all children under the age of 18, each Tuesday and Thursday morning from 10:45 am – 12:00 p.m., or while supplies last, in Smiley Park through Thursday, August 6.
On select Tuesday mornings at 10:45 a.m. throughout the summer, there will be an educational enrichment presentation during the lunch service hosted by Redlands Unified School District. Each Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m. and repeated at 2:00 p.m. in the Contemporary Club, there will be an entertainment show offered at a first come, first seated basis.
Tuesday, June 23, the City of Redlands Sustainability Department will host a booth and offer craft making of potato pollinators, while supplies last!
The following Tuesday, June 30, Old Grove Orange will be hosting a mini-farmer’s market in the Contemporary Club. We invite you to join Farmer Jackie as she educates the audience in local produce.
Also, on select Thursdays during the lunch service, East Valley Therapy Dogs will be in the Children’s Garden awaiting children to come and read them a story! Stop by between 10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. to interact with the dogs!
Please see the Youth Services website calendar for all of the Summer Program event dates at Young Readers’ Room | A.K. Smiley Public Library
For the teens interested in the Summer Reading Program, have no fear, there is an array of teen events happening too! Check the teen webpage at:
Teens | A.K. Smiley Public Library
You can also check out the Youth Services social media pages for more information:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/YoungReadersRoomatAKSmileyPublicLibrary
Instagram: https://instagram.com/akspl_kids/
On a side note, there will also be a reading program for adults this year! Please check with an Adult Services team member for more information.
We look forward to seeing you this summer as you check out a stack of books, play the Annual Summer Reading Game, and read, read, read!
~ Pamela Martinez, senior librarian, Youth Services