2025 was hot summer for reading in Hawaiʻi
Summer 2025 was a real page-turner throughout the islands.
Nearly 23,500 readers joined this year’s statewide Hawaiʻi State Public Library System’s Summer Reading Challenge. That represents a 44% surge in participation compared with 2024.
“Over the summer, tens of thousands of readers from across Hawaiʻi showed us how much reading matters,” said State Librarian Stacey Aldrich in announcing the impressive statistic, adding she’s grateful for all those who joined in and became a part of “strengthening our tradition of literacy in Hawaiʻi.”
2025 Summer Reading Challenge by the Numbers
23,467
TOTAL NUMBER OF READERS who participated this year (an increase of a few more than 7,200 from 16,248 during summer 2024):
- 9,692 CHILDREN.
- 3,091 TEENS.
- 10,684 ADULTS.
Children from birth through fifth grade logged the number of minutes they read, while teens and adults tracked the number of books they read during the 2-month challenge from June 1 through July 31:
- 5,357,135 MINUTES of reading logged by children.
- 102,888 BOOKS reported read by teens and adults.
- 21,077 TOTAL VISITS readers made to public libraries throughout the state to get and record the Word of the Week.
Audience members enjoy music by Jeff Peterson during a concert at Hilo Public Library as part of the 2025 Hawaiʻi State Public Library System Summer Reading Challenge. (Photo Courtesy: Hawaiʻi State Public Library System)- Keiki and their ʻohana enjoy crafts at Waimea Public Library on Kauaʻi as part of the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge through Hawaiʻi State Public Library System. (Photo Courtesy: Hawaiʻi State Public Library System)
- Readers from keiki to adults, such as these two getting in some reading time at Lāna’i Public and School Library, once again participated in this year’s Hawaiʻi State Public Library System Summer Reading Challenge. (Photo Courtesy: Hawaiʻi State Public Library System)
One lucky Summer Reading Challenge participant was crowned grand prize winner — claiming 4 round-trip tickets on Alaska Airlines — following a random drawing the first week of August. Regional winners in each age group were also selected and notified following the drawing.
WINNERS will be announced later this month.
The 2025 Summer Reading Challenge was sponsored by Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i, Alaska Airlines, Hawai‘i State Federal Credit Union, McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawai‘i and Pizza Hut Hawai‘i.
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