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2025 Summer Bookmark Contest for Children and Teens
June 4, 2025
This blog was written by Jesse Isley, children's services manager for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
This spring, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library hosted our second annual bookmark contest for children and teens in grades K-12 to showcase the creativity of our community. We were excited to expand the contest this year to include middle and high school students, and we loved hosting the contest itself in March as part of our celebration of Community Read!
We received over 1,100 bookmark entries—including hundreds from local schools and classrooms that teachers graciously dropped off for students. Themes included everything from love of books and reading (which made our hearts so happy!) to nature, animals, positive messages, and the celebration of summer. We also got to see unique materials used to complete the challenge with watercolors, stickers, and photography all submitted this year.
While it was a difficult task, we worked hard to narrow down the entries for final selection by our judges. We were so lucky to have 2 local artists judge the contest this year! To Melody Cassen and Chris Georgalas, we are so grateful for your support of our community and for your willingness to take on the hardest job of selecting winners for each range of grade levels. We greatly appreciate the judges sharing their time and expertise. Here is some of the feedback they shared:
“I loved the theme of these bookmarks—positive, universal that can apply to anyone.”
“It was hard for me to judge these as they were all so imaginative and genuine!”
“I congratulate all of the artists. It’s important for all of the creatives involved to know that they are unique in what they dream, and it is a gift they have to share with the world.”
We are thrilled to announce the winners below and first runners up below. Copies of the winning bookmarks will be available to pick up in every library location while supplies last. A huge thank you to our community for your response to this contest, and CONGRATULATIONS to our winners.
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Travel the World with the Frontline Puppeteers!
June 17, 2025
All summer long, join the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Frontline Puppeteers for any of our music-filled puppet show: Travel the World! This is a 30-minute puppet show that incorporates songs, folk tales, and stories from children's picture books featuring countries like Germany, Mexico, Australia, and Africa, followed by a puppet-making activity and a chance for attending children to meet our friendly puppets. The show is geared toward children ages PreK-Gr. 2, but all ages are welcome.
The puppet show is traveling to all 20 library branches throughout the summer months, so join us for one or for them all!
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Wednesday, June 18th at 11:00 at Myers Park Library (1361 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207)
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Monday, June 23rd at 11:00 at North County Regional Library (16500 Holly Crest Lane, Huntersville, NC 28078)
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Tuesday, June 24th at 2:00 at Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library (2412 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, NC 28216)
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Tuesday, July 1st at 1:00 at South Boulevard Library (4429 South Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28209)
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Wednesday, July 2nd at 2:00 at Mountain Island Library (4420 Hoyt Galvin Way, Charlotte, NC 28214)
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Thursday, July 3rd at 2:00 at Cornelius Library (21105 Catawba Avenue, Cornelius, NC 28031)
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Tuesday, July 8th at 2:00 at Davidson Library (119 South Main Street, Davidson, NC 28036)
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Wednesday, July 9th at 3:00 at Matthews Library (230 Matthews Station St., Matthews, NC 28105)
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Thursday, July 10th at 2:00 at Hickory Grove Library (5935 Hickory Grove Road, Charlotte, NC 28215)
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Tuesday, July 15th at 2:00 at University City Regional Library (5528 Waters Edge Village Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262)
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Wednesday, July 16th at 3:00 at SouthPark Regional Library (7015 Carnegie Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28211)
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Thursday, July 17th at 2:00 at Mint Hill Library (6840 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill, NC 28227)
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Monday, July 21st at 2:00 at Pineville Library (505 Main Street, Suite 100, Pineville, NC 28134)
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Tuesday, July 22nd at 2:00 at Steele Creek Library (13620 Steele Creek Road, Charlotte, NC 28273)
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Wednesday, July 30th at 2:00 at South County Regional Library (5801 Rea Road, Charlotte, NC 28277)
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Thursday, July 31st at 10:30 at Sugar Creek Library (4045 North Tryon Street, Suite A, Charlotte, NC 28206)
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Tuesday, August 5th at 2:00 at Independence Regional Library (6000 Conference Drive, Charlotte, NC 28212)
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Wednesday, August 6th at 2:00 at West Boulevard Library (2157 West Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28208)
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Tuesday, August 12th at 2:00 at ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center (300 East Seventh Street, Charlotte, NC 28202)
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Thursday, August 14th at 2:00 at Plaza Midwood Library (1623 Central Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205)
More information about the shows can be found on our events page HERE.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Frontline Puppeteers are a troupe of trained puppeteers who work for various branches of the library. We have been bringing puppet shows and silly voices to Charlotte since 2018.
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Library Late Night: Teen Summer Reading Celebration
June 24, 2025
This blog was written by Holly Summers-Gil, teen services manager for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Are you ready to read, so that you can see what happens when the lights go out at the library? Teens, ages 12-18, who participate in our Summer Reading program will be invited to a special after-hours event to celebrate their accomplishments in August. All you need to do is commit to reading at least 45 days this Summer and be one of the first 10 teens at your branch to sign up starting on June 14th!
We'll send you a welcome email, along with weekly emails to keep you inspired and connected throughout the summer. Then, you'll get to come and celebrate with other teens in your neighborhood and surrounding community.
Every regional branch is going to have different activities, food, giveaways, and so much more! You've already read so much just in learning about this special event, so be sure to get signed up for Summer Reading and snag one of our limited spots to our first-ever Library Late Night!
Plaza Midwood Library
1623 Central Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28205
United States
Contact us:
(704) 416-6200 Hours:
Sunday Closed
Monday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am-5:00 pm
After Hours Book Drop | Available
What We Offer
View Branch Events
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Branch Manager
ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center
300 East Seventh Street,
Charlotte, NC 28202
United States
Contact us:
(704) 416-4600 Hours:
Sunday Closed
Monday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am-5:00 pm
After Hours Book Drop | Available
What We Offer
View Branch Events
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Branch Manager
Home Page - Welcome to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
This blog was written by Jennifer Williams-Cannon, a librarian at North County Regional Library
What are social narratives (social stories) and why are they beneficial?
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the Autism Society of North Carolina have been trusted resources within our community for years. Both organizations work to improve lives and to build stronger communities. Together, we have developed comprehensive social narratives for all Mecklenburg County residents to ensure a more inclusive society that fosters compassion and equal access to library resources and community opportunities.
Social narratives help individuals of all ages, particularly those with autism or other developmental differences, understand and navigate social situations, reduce anxiety, and improve social skills. Originally called “social stories”, which were developed by Carol Gray in 1989 as a social learning tool designed to help individuals with autism understand and navigate social situations. (Gray, 2015) They are not just stories, but a structured method with specific criteria to ensure they are descriptive, meaningful, and personalized for the individual.
Each narrative, typically one sentence, uses visual cues to aid in understanding. While some individuals read and retain written information easily, many others need pictures to support comprehension. Many individuals with autism are visual learners and rely on visual cues to understand and process information around them. These “social narratives” break complex interactions into smaller, more manageable steps. The stories are meant to be engaging while also sharing information that can be practiced in different situations. This can lead to increased independence, confidence, and improved communication skills. In essence, social narratives act as a guide, helping individuals with autism and other developmental differences to participate more fully in social settings and build meaningful connections with others.
If you would like to learn more about social narratives or about the resources in your community, visit Carol Gray's website and Autism Society of North Carolina.
The following social narratives offer a description of (story time expectations, library rules, and how to care for your library books) while visiting the North County Regional Library in Huntersville, North Carolina.
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North County Regional
16500 Holly Crest Lane
Huntersville, NC 28078
United States
Contact us:
(704) 416-6000 Hours:
Sunday Closed
Monday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am-8:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am-5:00 pm
After Hours Book Drop | Available
What We Offer
View Branch Events
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