The Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library has announced its annual Summer Reading Program will kick off on Tuesday, June 9. This year’s summer reading theme is “Unearth A Story.” (Artwork courtesy of Tom Bonson)

ISHPEMING — The Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library has announced its annual Summer Reading Program will kick off on Tuesday, June 9. This year’s summer reading theme is “Unearth A Story.”

The program is open to all ages — babies through adults are welcome to participate.

Individuals can pre-register for the challenge online by downloading the Beanstack app or visiting ishpeminglibrary.beanstack.org. Participants are entered for prizes by logging their reading, writing reviews and attending library programs. This year, there is an entire week dedicated to the summer reading kick-off. Between June 9-13, readers can visit the library to register for the reading program and choose a free book.

Those who can’t make it to the the kickoff can still register anytime this summer. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 9, there is a special event for adults to drop-in and learn about the Summer Reading Program while enjoying a cup of coffee and pastries.

Additionally, there is over 80 events planned across all age groups that are free and open to the public. At 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, the library is hosting the Michigan Science Center for a “Dinosaurs of Michigan” hands-on workshop for kids, tweens and teens. To register, call the library at 906-486-4381.

At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 18 the Carnegie Library will welcome Tom Biron, a survivor of the Holy Childhood Native American Boarding School, to share the truth about his experiences.

At 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 25, kids are invited to come learn all about fossils with the Michigan Geological Survey. At 5:30 p.m. the same day, adults are invited to the library for a poetry reading with Alex Vartan Gubbins featuring his new book, “Decoding the Hill of Dead Kings.”

At 11 a.m. On Tuesday, June 30, local author MaryAnne Welch alongside illustrator Meghan Bjork will lead a special story time featuring their viral picture book, “Gnome Place Like Marquette.” At 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 11, there will be another special story time featuring Chief Radabaugh of the Ishpeming Police Department who will read “If You Give a Pig a Pancake” with children in attendance receiving a free copy of the book. At 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, Michelle Briggs, Chief Park Ranger of the Soo Locks, will invite children to pretend they are aboard a freighter traveling from Marquette hauling iron ore. Throughout the course of the presentation, children will learn about various jobs on board their “ship.”

There are also events for adults this year that will focus on local/Michigan history as a part of the “Unearth A Story” centered programming. At 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, the library will welcome Emily Cummings for a presentation on the Titanic and local ties to families in this area. At 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, Jack Deo will be at the library to give a presentation featuring new photos of Negaunee, Ishpeming, Champion and Michigamme that he has discovered. At 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, Bill Jamerson will give a presentation through story and song about the history of our U.P. mining towns. At 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, Briggs will present an illustrated history of the Soo Locks alongside information about the Lock that is currently being built.

To learn more about additional events, visit the library or check out the Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library’s active Facebook page and visit the website at ishpeminglibrary.info.