News

Readers of all ages – kids, teens and, yes, adults – can win spectacular prizes during Summer Reading at Mentor Public Library. Sign up at any MPL branches starting May 28!

Summer Reading for Kids

Once they’ve registered, kids (those entering sixth grade or younger) will earn a raffle ticket for every hour they read or are read to. The more they read, the better chance they have to win one of our prizes!

Children can also earn fun rewards along the way. Kids who read:

• 5 hours will receive a folder filled with coupons from local businesses
• 10 hours will receive a package of Wikki Stix
• 15 hours will receive a Library Champion yard sign or window cling (one per family)
• 20 hours will earn a golden ticket and a chance to win $50 gift cards.

Kids will also receive a bonus prize by completing the Summer Fun Bingo Challenge on the back of their reading logs.

Summer Reading for Teens & Adults

Meanwhile, teens (those entering seventh grade and older) and adults can sign up for summer reading in person at the library, online at mentorpl.beanstack.org, or by using the Beanstack app. Then they can use Beanstack to record what they read. They’ll receive an entry into one of our prize raffles for every book they read and audiobook they listen to.

America 250

This year, we’re celebrating the USA’s semiquincentennial with the theme America 250. We’re offering free programs on local and national history all summer long.

And we’re kicking off Summer Reading with an Americana Picnic at noon on Saturday, May 30, outside of our Main Branch. The Snowbelt Brass Quintet will play an hour of patriotic music and children’s favorites. We will also be serving hot dogs, and you are welcome to bring their own sides and nonalcoholic drinks. Registration is required. Click here to sign up!

Check out our complete event calendar here.

Finally, we would like to thank our Summer Reading 2026 sponsors: Huntington Learning Center in Mentor, Dollar Bank, Cleveland Clinic, Meijer, and the Friends of the Mentor Public Library.

Almost every library has cookbooks. We let you borrow a chef!

Starting March 1, you can borrow a Shelf to Chef kit from Mentor Public Library’s Main Branch. The kits come with:

• a cookbook
• specialized cooking gear
• a QR code that links to a video where our own Chef Stef walks you through one of the recipes in the cookbook, using the specialized equipment!

During her videos, Chef Stef also sprinkles in bon mots about where vanilla comes from, the origin of paella, and how yeast works.

And, yes, one of our librarians is also a trained chef! Stefanie Paganini was born into a family of women chefs originating from Italy. She worked for more than 15 years as a pastry chef educator from the International Culinary Arts & Sciences Institute (ICASI) in Chesterland and also taught for the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. And now she’s ready to guide you!

You’ll be able to borrow the kits from the Front Desk at our Main Branch for up to two weeks. (No renewals.) You need to be an adult to borrow our Shelf to Chef kits.

By the way, if you want to watch Chef Stef’s Shelf to Chef videos, you can find them on our YouTube channel:

• Shelf to Chef: Paella
• Shelf to Chef: Madeleines
• Shelf to Chef: Carrot Cake Muffins
• Shelf to Chef: Pain de Mie
• Shelf to Chef: Ham, Asparagus & Cheese Quiche
• Shelf to Chef: Strawberry Creme Fraiche Tart

Children (ages eight to 12) can explore American history through the stories of the American Girl dolls with our new club!

Each month, the American Girl in America Club will revisit a different era in the nation’s history and celebrate a different American Girl. The first meeting will be 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at our Main Branch. The club will begin by traveling back to the Revolutionary War with Felicity Merriman.

The program is free to attend. Due to limited space, registration is required. Click here to sign up for our American Girl in America Club or call us at 440-255-8811 ext. 3.

We’re celebrating our country’s 250th birthday all year long! Visit our AM250 page for more info on our historical programs for all ages.