This year, 36,576 readers took part in the “Summer with a Book” reading challenge. They read a total of 106,157 books. A total of 27,178 participants completed all three challenge tasks. This year’s challenge was marked by record-breaking participation from educational institutions.
The winners of “Summer with a Book” will be announced shortly on the website “www.vasarasuknyga.lt.” All other participants who completed the challenge will also receive gifts.
Entire communities took on the challenge
The record-breaking participation of educational institutions was one of the highlights of this year’s “Summer with a Book.” As many as 168 schools and 32 preschools joined the reading challenge.
This number shows that the reading challenge is becoming a community-wide activity—involving not only individual readers, but also teachers, librarians, preschool staff, and entire families. Although some young people associate summer with a chance to take a break from books, it is precisely regular reading that helps maintain an established reading habit. By reading, children expand their vocabulary, develop their imagination and ability to understand text, and—most importantly—discover that a book can be not only a learning tool but also an interesting way to spend time, explore the world, or get to know themselves.
“Our habits are formed in childhood, so the involvement of the younger generation is heartening and gives us hope. This year, young readers delved into the pages of books together with their classes, schools, preschools, and families. And what matters most here isn’t whether they managed to meet the challenge—the greatest value lies in the act of reading itself,” says Justina Grigienė, this year’s initiative coordinator and cultural activities manager at the Povilas Višinskis Library.
When a book becomes part of the summer, and reading is driven not by grades but by curiosity and a desire to participate, it becomes easier for a child to discover their own relationship with reading.
Reading Communities Active All Summer Long
A large group of readers from all over Lithuania took part in the reading challenge. Reading communities actively formed in Tauragė, Jurbarkas, Kalvarija, Vilnius, Raseiniai, Kaunas, and other Lithuanian cities and districts.
The “Summer with a Book” community was also active on social media. Over the summer, 38 contests were held, with 147 participants receiving prizes from sponsors.
This year, the initiative was supported by an exceptionally broad range of sponsors and partners—business organizations, young family-run businesses, independent creators, cultural institutions, and publishing houses. The prizes they provided made it possible to organize reader-engaging contests throughout the summer, encouraged the sharing of impressions and recommendations about books read, and significantly contributed to the exceptionally high level of community engagement on social media. This support demonstrates that strengthening a culture of reading can unite very different organizations and people, and that through joint efforts, books become even more visible, appealing, and engaging.
Different Reader Experiences with the Books They Read
Nearly 300 people participated in this year’s “Summer with a Book” reading challenge; for them, standard printed books are not accessible due to dyslexia, visual impairments, or other reasons. They were able to choose book formats that suited them and, just like the other participants, complete the challenge.
“When you have poor vision or are blind, there are things you can’t do, and you get the feeling that you’re cut off from society. The chance to participate in this challenge is a miracle. It’s a sign that you’re needed by society, that you’re not left behind, but still very much alive,” shared Aleksandras, a reader of the ELVIS virtual library.
Those who read traditionally printed books also expressed positive emotions. “Books are the most wonderful way to push beyond our own limits. Every year, this challenge becomes my most anticipated adventure and a personal test that allows me to turn the pages of books I might not otherwise even touch,” wrote one participant on social media.
This year, readers chose a wide variety of books. Among the most popular were Delia Owens’ „Where the Crabs Sing“, Marius Marcinkevičius and Lina Itagaki’s „The Girl with the Rifle“, Ernest Hemingway’s „The Old Man and the Sea“, Mauri Spangol’s „Animals That Changed the World“, Evelina Daciūtė’s „Happiness Is a Fox“, Kristina Sabaliauskaitė’s „Peter the Emperor“, Edita Mildažytė’s „Honey of the Dunes“, and „The Maid“ by Freida McFadden, among others.
The organizers also responded to the opportunity to choose various reading methods with this year’s gift for participants who completed the challenge—they are granted 30 days of access to selected audiobooks on the “Audioteka” platform. This year’s slogan, “Three Times More Impressions,” encouraged participants to read three books, but readers’ experiences showed that there are many different ways to discover a book.
Awards Are Coming
Although the reading challenge has ended, its climax is still ahead. The winners of this year’s reading challenge will be announced on the “www.vasarasuknyga.lt” website in the near future. Participants selected by random drawing will receive as many as 50 boxes of ice cream from the main sponsor—Klasika—as well as speakers, LEGO sets, gift cards from Pegaso and Decathlon, “Geros dovanos” experience cards, a wigwam, an instant camera, and even bicycles.
All other participants who complete the challenge will also be rewarded—they’ll receive a 30-day subscription to “Audioteka,” which will be sent to their email addresses in early September. The most active educational institutions will also receive additional gifts.
The most active schools that will receive “JBL Charge” speakers:
- Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Engineering Lyceum,
- Vilnius Baltupiai Lower Secondary School,
- Alizava Elementary School in Kupiškis District,
- Piniava School and Preschool, Panevėžys District,
- Petro Vileišis Lower Secondary School, Vilnius.
The most active kindergartens that will receive teepees:
- “Pušaitė” Nursery-Kindergarten in Klaipėda,
- “Žilvitis” Nursery-Kindergarten in Kaunas,
- “Žirniukas” Nursery-Kindergarten in Šiauliai.
Reading Activities Continue into the Fall
Although the “Summer with a Book” reading challenge has ended, events as part of the “A Year with a Book” initiative await readers at libraries across Lithuania.
From September through November, “A Year with a Book” ambassadors will visit various libraries in Lithuania. The upcoming events are just around the corner:
On September 9 at 5:00 p.m., a meeting with Gabrielius Liaudanskas-Svaras will take place at the Birutė Baltrušaitytė Public Library of the Tauragė District Municipality (3 Respublikos St.).
On September 10 at 6:00 p.m., a meeting with Nora Žaliūke (the “Book Lady”) will take place at the Birštonas Public Library (12 S. Dariaus and S. Girėno St.).
On September 16 at 5:00 p.m., a meeting with Pijus Opera will take place at the Pakruojis Cultural Center (4 Kęstučio St.).
In October, students will also be able to participate in a virtual literary quiz, where 7th- and 8th-grade students can test their reading knowledge and compete for prizes. Registration will be announced on September 7 on the website “www.vasarasuknyga.lt.”
The “Summer with a Book” initiative is coordinated by the Association of County Public Libraries and the Association of Lithuanian Municipal Public Libraries. The “Summer with a Book” initiative is funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania and is part of the 2025–2027 Action Plan for the Promotion of Reading.
Partners of the campaign: the ELVIS virtual library, the Lithuanian Section of IBBY, the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, and the “Library for Everyone” initiative.
Information partner: LRT.
Sponsors: “Alma littera,” “Audioteka,” “Bags & more,” “Formosa,” “Forum Cinemas,” “Gera dovana,” “Julius Meinl,” “Kitos knygos,” “Klasika ledai,” “Kuoka,” “Lieta dėlionės,” the National Museum of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Writers’ Union Publishing House, “Mano tapyba,” “Misteris Pinkmanas,” “Mokslo bazė,” “Muilo virtuvė,” “Nieko rimto,” “Puoškis lietuviškai,” “Vilnius – European Green Capital,” VITAPUR, “Skilsas.”
