Summer is the perfect time to explore new worlds, discover exciting stories, and build a love for reading! These fun, engaging activities, events, and book recommendations are tailored just for you! Join us for an adventure in learning to become a lifelong reader!
Register, Track Reading Time & Earn Prizes
1. Register Learn how to get registered and see the full list of rules.
2. Get a Reading Tracker Download and print an Adult Reading Tracker (.pdf) or pick one up at any Library location.
3. Read Spend time listening to audiobooks, reading aloud to someone, or having someone read to you.
4. Earn Prizes Prizes are earned at 1 hour, 5 hours, 10 hours, 15 hours, and 20 hours of reading. When you reach the hour markers, visit any Library location to claim your prize! Prizes are subject to change and while supplies last. Claim prizes until August 2, 2025.
5. Earn an extra Prize Ready to dig deeper? Complete 7 of 11 activity challenges to win a bonus prize. Download and print the Adult Activity Challenges (.pdf) or pick one up at any Library location.
6. Win a Gift Card Fill out the Adult Summer Reading feedback survey to be entered to win a gift card!
7. Grand Prize Drawing All readers who log time will be eligible for grand prizes at the end of the summer if all age groups in the Summer Reading Program together reach a total of 20 million minutes read. Winners will be contacted in August.
All About Jurassic Park
Summon your inner paleontologist and dig into natural history by reading and watching all things related to Jurassic Park. This year also marks the 35th anniversary of the novel's publication. On this list, you will find films, books, and media related to both the book by Michael Crichton and film by Steven Spielberg, as well as other non-fiction titles related to the themes of this epic literary and cinematic dinosaur adventure.
Dinosaurs - Books for Adults
Whether you haven't picked up a book about dinosaurs since you were a kid or you read anything about dinosaurs you can find, this list has a recommendation for you!
Indiana Geology & Geography
Indiana's geology and geography are as fascinating as its people. From secluded waterfalls, to limestone caves, to fossil evidence of ancient seas, Indiana has plenty of wonders to explore.
Natural History Large Print & Audiobook Suggestions
Check out this list of large print and audiobook titles connected to our 2025 natural history summer reading theme! Find a mix of fiction and non-fiction options available in multiple formats.
Paleontology
Are you ready to dig deeper into dinosaurs? Have you ever wondered how scientists know so much about animals that they've never seen alive? Check out these titles to learn more about paleontology-- the study of ancient life.
Paleoart
Are you looking for artistic inspiration? If dinosaurs or other ancient creatures ignite your imagination, check out these titles about paleoart to learn all about the challenges of creating art that depicts prehistoric life!
Rock Art & Cave Painting
Rock art and cave paintings are evocative echoes of an oft distant time. Discover more about these mysterious images, the people who created them, the importance of preserving them with this introductory list.
Summer Reading Quick Reads
Check out these recent additions to our Quick Reads collection-- short books written for those building reading skills or reading at an easy pace!
That's Not a Dinosaur
It might be large and extinct, but not every ancient creature we unearth is a dinosaur! Explore some of the OTHER amazing prehistoric creatures from the planet's past with these books.
Art in Stone
1 hour | Adults | Schedule & Register for Art in Stone
Join Artisan Experience for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carve your very own piece of Indiana Limestone. This one-hour workshop is perfect for anyone who wants a personalized piece of Indiana's Natural History. Come learn a bit about what makes Indiana Limestone SO amazing! See our Stone Carving book list.
Guided Painting for Adults
1 hour | Adults | Schedule & Register for Guided Painting
Join us for a guided painting class with local artist, Stephanie Schrodetzki. Our 1.5-hour class will focus on natural prehistoric plants and animals. See our book list Painting for Beginners.
Printmaking Paleoart Experience
1 hour | Adults | Schedule & Register for Printmaking Paleoart
Discover printmaking with a prehistoric flair! This beginner-friendly class will guide adults through a quick lesson in drawing techniques and material basics before diving into printmaking with artist Amanda Keller. See our book list about Paleoart.
Exploring Paleontology for Adults
1 hour | Adults | Schedule & Register for Exploring Paleontology
Join us as we uncover the fascinating history of paleontology from ancient mythological creatures to dinosaurs and newly discovered fossils, revealing their connection to modern-day birds. We’ll also explore some of the fossil giants that once called Indiana home. See our book list about Paleontology.
Natural History Book Club
1 hour | Adults | Schedule & Register Natural History Book Club
Join us to discuss the book Why Dinosaurs Matter by Kenneth Lacovera!
Prehistoric Pictures: Library Weekend at Kan-Kan Cinema (1258 Windsor St. Indianapolis, IN 46201)
Celebrate the end of Adult Summer Reading with free screenings at Kan-Kan Cinema and Restaurant! Go back in time with us to explore some of our favorite prehistoric stories to celebrate all the pages we turned this summer in our quest to meet the Community Reading Goal! Screenings are free and open to the public, but claiming free tickets in advance is required.If you have claimed a ticket and can no longer attend the screening due to scheduling conflicts, please email hello@kankanindy.com to cancel your ticket.
Film: Ice Age (2002)
Summary: A woolly mammoth, a saber-tooth tiger, and a sloth band together to on an Ice Age adventure.
Date: Saturday, August 9 Claim your tickets!
Time: 1:30 p.m. (doors open at 1 p.m.)
Film: Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
Summary: Glimpse France’s Chauvet Cave, where the walls are covered with the world’s oldest surviving paintings.
Date: Sunday, August 10 Claim your tickets!
Time: 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Convinced you don’t have time to read?
Reading 20 hours this summer is easier than you think!
• Listen to an audiobook to make doing chores more exciting.
• Download an e-book to your phone to take a break from scrolling social media.
• Count your time reading a sacred text during your daily spiritual or religious practice.
• Cope with your commute by escaping into an audiobook—listen to it while you drive!
• Create a cozy reading spot at home with your favorite décor, mood lighting, and accessories.
• Read in public! Visit a park, a local coffee shop, or a museum to read in the company of your community.
• Spend 10 minutes of your lunch break at work reading a nonfiction book.
• Always have a book with you! Pull out your phone to read an e-book while you’re in the waiting room or taking the IndyGo bus.
• Read some book reviews on sites like Goodreads and Kirkus Reviews! You can count the time spent reading the reviews towards your summer reading goals while also building your list of books to check out.
• Invite a friend out for a blind reading date! Visit one of our city’s indie bookstores, buy each other a book, and spend some time reading together. If you don’t want to spend money visit the free IndyPL Public Collection at Central Library, your local Little Free Library, or find great book bargains at Indy Library Store.
• Check out a cookbook and try new recipes in your weeknight dinners. The time you spend reading the recipes counts towards your summer reading goals!
• Read aloud to someone you love! If you’re a parent, reading bedtime stories to your child will count as minutes read for summer reading—and for BOTH of you! Organize a popcorn reading session with your family or friends to take turns reading aloud together.