103 Old Pine Hill Rd.
P.O. Box 838
Berwick, ME 03901
207-698-5737
LIBRARY HOURS
Tuesdays & Wednesdays: 9:30am to 7:30pm
Thursdays: 12:00pm to 7:30pm
Fridays: 9:30am to 5pm
Saturdays: 9:30am to 3pm
June 16th - August 7th
Program Overview
Welcome to our 2026 summer reading program! This year's theme is Cryptid Hunters. What's a cryptid? Cryptids are creatures that are rumored to exist but have never been confirmed - like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.
The Cryptid Hunters summer reading program runs
from Tuesday, June 16th through Friday, August 7th.
This program is open to all ages! Over the course of the summer, we'll have lots of special programs and activities happening at the library - be sure to stop by each week to see what's new!
No registration is required, and you are welcome to start participating at any point throughout the duration of the program. To get started, stop by the library to pick up a summer reading packet, or visit the "Summer Reading Forms" section of the website to download a copy.
How the Summer Reading Program Works
We like to keep our summer reading program pretty simple - just read books and complete fun activities from a list we've created. For every book you read or activity you complete, you'll earn one entry into the prize drawing of your choice.
Our prize drawings are virtual. That means you'll simply tally up all the entries you've earned over the course of the summer and tell us how many entries you want to put in your chosen prize drawing(s). We'll take care of the rest! You can go all in on one prize or spread your entries out across multiple prizes - it's up to you!
How much you want to participate in the summer reading program is up to you. You can keep things low-key and just read books of your choosing all summer, or you can challenge yourself to complete the activities and reading prompts we provide.
Cryptid Hunters
While walking along the Penny Pond Trail near the library, our staff members caught a glimpse of a mysterious creature in the woods.
We collected as much evidence as we could after the sighting, but it's unclear if the evidence belongs to the mysterious creature or to animals that live in the area. We need your help to investigate!
How to Play
Each week throughout the summer we will focus our investigation on a new piece of a evidence. It will be up to you to determine if that piece of evidence belongs to a local animal, a known cryptid, or an unknown creature. At the end of the summer, you will be able to determine what Emma and Patrick saw in the woods.
Was it a moose? Was it Bigfoot? Or was it some entirely new cryptid?
To help you with your investigation, we'll be visited by several wildlife specialists throughout the summer who can share their expertise. We also discovered the field journal of legendary Berwick cryptozoologist Elizabeth Fairbanks among our local history items at the library. Her research on cryptids will help you determine if any of the evidence belongs to a known cryptid, like Bigfoot.
Our Cryptid Hunters storyline and activities are meant to be completed in person at the library, but alternative activities are available on our website for anyone who wants to play along at home.
Click the icons to play along at home!
A new activity is
available every week
Check out all our
fun programs!
Week 1 - Evidence: Feather
The first piece of evidence that we're investigating is a feather.
To help us learn more about animals with feathers, the Center for Wildlife will be visiting the library to talk about birds of prey and introduce us to some of their animal ambassadors.
Center for Wildlife:
Birds of Prey
Tuesday, June 16th
5pm
Week 2 - Evidence: Tooth
This week we're investigating our second piece of evidence - a tooth.
Could the tooth be a snake fang? To help us learn more about reptiles, A2B2 Reptile, a local small animal rescue dedicated to caring for reptiles and livestock in need of new homes, will be visiting the library with over 15 of their reptiles that you can interact with!
A2B2 Reptiles
Friday, June 26th
10:30am
Week 3 - Evidence: Footprint
Our next piece of evidence is a footprint. Could it have been from a famous cryptid?
This week, we're celebrating our favorite cryptids with a Monster Mash Cryptid Dance Party! Come in costume or design your mask while you're here. We'll have games, crafts, snacks, and more!
Monster Mash Cryptid Dance Party
Friday, July 3rd
10:30am to 12:30pm
Week 4 - Evidence: Sound
Our next piece of evidence is an audio recording. Did we capture the sound of a cryptid's tail splashing in the water? Or was it a local animal? Stop by the library to investigate!
The Seacoast Science Center will be visiting us this week to teach us more about the animals that live in the water in our area. They'll be bringing with them a 25-foot inflatable North Atlantic Right Whale
named Katahdin!
Seacoast Science Center with Inflatable Whale
Friday, July 10th
10:30am
Week 5 - Evidence: Fur
This week, we're investigating a clump of fur to determine if it came from a known cryptid, a local animal, or something unknown.
Take a break from cryptid hunting for a special story time with your local EMTs from Stewarts Ambulance. Children can get a close-up look at the life-saving tools EMTs use every day and look inside an ambulance.
EMT Storytime
Friday, July 17th
10:30am
Week 6 - Evidence: Horn
We have just one piece of evidence left to investigate - a horn. What sort of creature could it have come from?
Be sure join us at Cryptid Camp for some fun hands-on STEAM activities themed around our mysterious cryptid friends!
Cryptid Camp
Friday, July 24th
11am to 1pm
Week 7 - Mystery Solved?
Now that we have investigated the evidence, it's time to analyze the results. What sort of creature did we encounter?
Visit the library this week for a special storytime with the Berwick Fire Department. Children can get an up-close look at the life-saving tools firefighters use every day and even get to sit behind the steering wheel of the firetruck for photos.
Firefighter Storytime
Friday, July 31st
10:30am
Summer Reading Program Wrap-up
We've reached the end of our summer reading program! If you're taking part in our prize drawings, be sure to drop off your summer reading tracker form and prize sheet at the library (or email info@berwickpubliclibrary.org) by 5pm on Friday, August 7th.
Celebrate the finale of our summer reading program on August 7th by grabbing a delicious snow cone from Kona Ice! Our local reader dog Rocco will also be “chilling” with us, and he would love to hear you read him some stories about the cryptids you’ve learned about this summer. We'll also have games and activities available.
Rocco the Reader Dog
Friday, August 7th
10:30am to 11:30am
Kona Ice
Friday, August 7th
11am to 1pm
