The Flower Mound Public Library holds an annual Summer Reading Challenge that encourages participants to read every day during the summer to maintain and sharpen their literacy skills and become more comfortable with reading. In 2026, the program attracted 2,805 participants.
Readers participate in four groups: Growing Readers (babies, toddlers and pre-K), Elementary (grades K-5), Teens (grades 6-12) and Adults (ages 18 and older).
The program is free, and participants are encouraged to read whatever they want, including novels, comics and magazines. They can also listen to audiobooks or have books read to them. Each reader receives a book for signing up. While all ages are welcome, the program is largely aimed at elementary readers, who also had the highest participation.
The Summer Reading Challenge is organized by library staff members Cat Serna, Jean Lancaster, Rhiannon Graham, Essence Besley, Ivonne Sanchez and Gaby Margocs. The experienced staff recognizes that children are more willing to read when they can choose what they read or listen to.
The 2026 theme was “Unearth a Story,” with badges, activities and events centered around dinosaurs, archaeology and similar topics. All ages are included to encourage families to read together and talk about what they have read. An overarching goal of the challenge is to help children become lifelong readers.
In addition to family participation, the challenge is a communitywide effort, with numerous local businesses donating reading incentives such as free treats and experiences.
Atmos Energy donated $15,000 to the Friends of the Flower Mound Library and the Flower Mound Public Library to support literacy. The donation provided books, reading incentives and programming supplies.
Additional support and prizes came from Handel’s Ice Cream, Jet’s Pizza, Bahama Buck’s, Heavenly Crust Pizza, Interskate Roller Rink, Arcade 92 in Flower Mound, Hawaiian Waters in The Colony, Raising Cane’s, Rosa’s, Texas Roadhouse, Crumbl, Denton Explorium, Hive Bakery, Moviehouse & Eatery, Mel’s Barbershop, Blo Blow Dry Bar, Storied Provisions, Championship Martial Arts, Color Me Mine in Flower Mound and Movement Climbing Gym in Denton.
Participants are rewarded for the number of minutes they spend reading rather than the number of books they complete. The top readers in every age category logged at least 1,440 minutes each, and collectively, participants read an impressive 3.4 million minutes in 2026.
Parents help keep track of the time children spend reading. Participants who read for 24 hours or more reach Level 4, the goal for all readers. This year, 1,180 participants achieved Level 4.
The most prolific readers logged more than 10,000 minutes — more than 166 hours each. That group included:
Elementary Readers: Mukunda Jalari, Swadha Patel, Anny Young, Abel Young, Aidan Young, Shaina Vignesh, Shanik Vignesh, Srihan Rao, Jeremy Pantell, Jayashri Durairaj, Thatcher Henry, Beckett Henry and Maverick Henry.
Teen Readers: Matthew Collier, Andrea Larkin, Audrie Larkin, Taylor Larkin, Elijah Myers, Shimran Pattanayak and Sudain Shaikh.
Adult Readers: Christine Fox, Murali Jalari, Melanie Larkin, Sheri Mehaffey, Sammy Son, Iman Weheliye, Rebecca Wursten, Jean Yi and Travis Collier.
Winners of the Summer Reading Challenge were recognized at a Flower Mound Town Council meeting last month, where their impressive accomplishments were celebrated.
We salute the library, local businesses and participants for making another outstanding Summer Reading Challenge possible.
