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2025 For Readers: HPL

 

 

Summer Reading Program
Are You Ready for Summer Fun?

 

Sign up and get ready to Color Your World all summer long! We've got colorful stuff to do (and read) for kids, adults, and everyone in between. Win prizes by logging reading time, attending library programs, and more!

 

 

 

 

How to Participate

 

First things first: get a MYLink Card! Not only do you need it to check out books and other fun stuff, it's so much easier to keep track of your Summer Reading Program (SRP) login when you have your MYLink card number on your profile. If you're under age 18, your parent or guardian has to to sign off on your MYLink Card application.

Already have a MYLink Card? You're all set. Log in or create your account on the SRP Beanstack page. Pro tip: Beanstack makes an app that's even easier to use than the web version.

If you need help with registration, tracking your progress, or want to maximize your chances of winning cool SRP prizes, visit your nearest HPL location or check out the FAQs!

 

Reads by Age

 

 

 

Summer Reading Events
Upcoming Events

 

 

 

 

Get LIT Summer Literacy Program


Get LIT

Offering FREE tutoring from Trice Education Resources for students in grades K-5 this summer. The Get LIT Summer Literacy Program offers thirty-minute one-on-one and group workshops in both English and Spanish at library locations across Houston.



 

 

 

Other Reading Challenges

YOUR NEXT CHAPTER
Jan 1, 2025 - Dec 31, 2025
Challenge yourself to go on new adventure experience and deepen your love of reading.

I READ BANNED BOOKS
Sep 22, 2024 - Sep 30, 2025
Celebrate the freedom to read books that have been challenged throughout the years.

LONE STAR STATE
May 17, 2024 - Dec 31, 2026
Join your community in celebrating books set in the great state of Texas. 

HPL RESOURCES
May 31, 2024 - Dec 31, 2025
Explore some of the various resources that the Houston Public Library has to offer.

BASEBALL
Aug 26, 2024 - May 31, 2026
Read 24 of the highest rated baseball books of all time.

 

 

Subscribe to Us
HPL offers many ways to connect with your favorite genres and authors as well as explore new reading interests. Never miss a new title from your favorite author with Author Alerts, fill out a form and get a custom reading list created by our expert librarians, explore titles in a variety of genres, or get HPL news in your inbox so you know when and where we are doing fun things in the community!

No library card required!
These offerings are free as always and do not require a MYLink card. If you'd like to join our MYLink family, apply today for immediate access to digital books, music, movies, and much more.
Rare & Special Collections

Houston Public Library's Notable Collections, housed at the Central Library in the Jesse H. Jones Building, are composed of items that have stood the test of time and current items that have left a mark in literary history. Titles are often added due to widespread and varied accolades; thus, the collections provide a snapshot of literary and cultural history. Items in the Notable Collections include books for different audiences, and the collections include the categories described below.

Greenberg
Greenberg
 
In 1977, Jacob Greenberg endowed the Houston Public Library with a trust established in memory of his spouse, Lurine Karon Greenberg. This fund supports the collection of non-fiction books on music, art, antiques, architecture, cooking, and travel, including the history of any of these subjects and biographies of persons connected with any of these subjects.
 

 

 

Notable Biography
Notable Biography
 
The Notable Biography collection comprises a curated selection of biographical and autobiographical works about historically important figures. Subjects of these titles made contributions to a gamut of fields such as Art & Music, Civil Rights, Science & Medicine, Journalism, Athletics, and more. More than 12,000 biographies can be found in this collection, many of them difficult to find or out of print.
 

 

 

Notable Fiction
Notable Fiction
 
The Notable Fiction Collection houses more than 23,000 specialized, unique, or hard to find, fiction titles by over 400 authors. Featured titles include, but are not limited to, award winners, early volumes by popular authors, out of print titles, full series, and Texas authors. From Butler and Christie, Lee and Roberts there’s something for all fiction lovers in Notable Fiction.
 

 

 

Notable Non-Fiction
Notable Non-Fiction
 
Consisting of more than 12,000 non-fiction titles, the Notable Non-Fiction Collection includes, but is not limited to award winning non-fiction, historically significant titles, and works that prominently feature Texas or the Greater Houston Area. The Houston Public Library has strong Folklore & Fairytale holdings located within Notable Non-Fiction. Notable Graphic Novels and Manga are also housed in the Notable Non-Fiction Collection.
 

 

 

Notable Picturebooks
Notable Picturebooks
 
One of the most unique collections in Houston Public Library’s holdings, the Notable Picture Books Collection contains many titles that are older or out of print and offers a remarkable historical perspective on the evolution of Picture Books as a format. This collection of more than 13,000 titles includes winners of notable children’s book awards, such as the Caldecott, titles from the Texas Library Association’s Reading Lists, books by Texas authors or about Texas, and many more subjects.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Build Writing Skills

Person writing in a journal
WRITING COURSES
Create an account in Universal Class with your library card and take self-paced courses on writing humor, basics of grammar, proofreading and copyediting, creative workshops and more.

Write On program for Teens
FOR TEENS
No library card required. Register to explore creative writing, poetry, character development, and short stories. The Write On! program also features open mic sessions.

Kanopy  Literature Courses
LEARN FROM THE GREATS
With your MYLink card, watch Great Courses on Kanopy to learn how great literature is created. Courses about all different genres, as well as writing practices can be explored.

Hands holding an e-reader
BOOKS ABOUT WRITING
Check out titles that will guide you on your writing journey, written by experts. Sign in to Libby with your library card to borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks, and magazines.