There was no shortage of dinosaur-themed prizes waiting for the lucky winners. This year’s grand prizes included two dinosaur-themed gift baskets, five Reading Pillow Buddies with pockets filled with dinosaur treats, two 93-inch inflatable T. rex pool floaties in blue and orange, 14- and 16-inch dinosaur Squishmallows and three large inflatable dinosaurs. (Submitted photo)

NEW BERLIN — The dinosaurs may be leaving the New Berlin Library, but they certainly made their mark this summer.

The library’s 2026 “Unearth a Story” Summer Reading Program officially came to an end on Aug. 31 after two months of reading, activities, prizes and plenty of dinosaur-themed fun.

The program, which ran from July 1 through Aug. 31, encouraged children ages 12 and younger to make reading part of their summer adventure. Beginning July 1, young readers visited the library to pick up reading logs and dinosaur-themed swag bags before setting out on their summer reading journey.

This year, 112 children registered for the reading program.

Young readers kept track of their reading in 15-minute increments and earned prizes as they reached different reading milestones. Each milestone also gave participants entries into 14 grand-prize raffles. The more they read, the more chances they had to win.

There was no shortage of dinosaur-themed prizes waiting for the lucky winners. This year’s grand prizes included two dinosaur-themed gift baskets, five Reading Pillow Buddies with pockets filled with dinosaur treats, two 93-inch inflatable T. rex pool floaties in blue and orange, 14- and 16-inch dinosaur Squishmallows and three large inflatable dinosaurs.

The Reading Pillow Buddies were specially sewn and donated by MaryEllen Betzold-Canuel.

Grand-prize winners were selected in a drawing on Aug. 31.

The library’s summer reading prizes were made possible through the Stewart’s Holiday Match Grant Program and a donation from MaryEllen Canuel.

Adults get in on the fun

The summer fun wasn’t just for the younger library patrons. Adults had an opportunity to participate throughout July and August as well.

Adults who visited the library received raffle tickets for a chance to win a special dinosaur-themed gift basket. The winning entry was drawn on Aug. 31. The winning ticket belonged to Elaine Restivo.

The basket was packed with items to enjoy, including a Stanley IceFlow 2.0 14-ounce flip-straw tumbler, a 50-by-60-inch fleece blanket, fuzzy socks, a dinosaur ceramic mug, an extra-large dinosaur T-shirt, a dinosaur tote bag, a “Jurassic World” cookbook and a $25 Gilligan’s gift card.

Dinosaurs find new homes

Another popular part of this summer’s dinosaur theme was the library’s Dinosaur Adoption Program.

Throughout the summer, dinosaur toys decorated the New Berlin Library and caught the attention of young visitors. Children ages 12 and younger were invited to help the library find new homes for the dinosaurs.

By the end of the program, all of the dinosaur toys had been adopted.

With the summer reading program now complete, the library’s dinosaur adventure has ended. Thanks to the enthusiasm of local children and families, along with the generosity of community supporters and donors, the New Berlin Library once again turned summer reading into an experience filled with fun.

The library’s “Unearth a Story” program may be over for 2026, but the love of reading it encouraged will continue long after the dinosaurs have gone home.

New at the library

Some great new additions to the library include: “The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners: Meal plans, expert guidance, & 100 recipes to get you started” by Elena Paravantes, “Lightlark (The Lightlark Saga Book 1)” by Alex Aster, “Nightbane (The Lightlark Saga Book 2)” by Alex Aster, “Skyshade (The Lightlark Saga Book 3)” by Alex Aster, “Crowntide (The Lightlark Saga Book 4)” by Alex Aster, “Child of Mine” (Large Print) by Beverly Lewis, “The Love Letters” (Large Print) by Beverly Lewis and “What Was the Trail of Tears (Who HQ)” by Sean Teuton.

The New Berlin Library is located at 15 S. Main St., New Berlin. The library is open Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon. The web address is http://libraries.4cls.org/newberlin/. For more information, call 607-847-8564 or visit the New Berlin Library and Museum Facebook page.

- Information from the New Berlin Library