Reading Challenges
Banned Books Week
All Ages
Sept. 22 – Oct. 13
Join the Banned Books Reading Challenge! Celebrate the freedom to read by exploring challenged books from Sept. 22 – Oct. 13. Each challenged book you checkout earns you a drawing ticket for our Banned Books Prize Baskets. Find books on display in Youth and Adult Services, or ask a library staff member for recommendations. Log your checkouts in the Beanstack app or ask a staff member for help. Dive into these powerful stories and be “Freed Between the Lines.”
Smokey Bear
Month of October
Help Smokey celebrate his 80th birthday by learning how to prevent wildfires and help the environment! Read 3 books on wildfire prevention or the environment and earn 4 activity badges to complete the challenge and earn your prize! Start by taking Smokey’s Pledge. Badges are earned by completing at least one activity in each section. You can select books from Smokey’s Reading List at smokeybear.com or choose your own. You can find the challenge on the Beanstack app.
The Century Club
All Adults, 18+
No genre requirements! Read what you want and log your books with us at your convenience. Audiobooks and eBooks also count towards the goal! Get a sweet treat when you sign up! Everyone who hits 100 books will receive a special surprise! Get your log at the Adult Services Desk on the second floor. You can also join this program and keep track of your progress using Beanstack. All books read after January 1, 2021 count towards the goal!
Read for a Lifetime
Grades 9-12
Read for a Lifetime is a statewide reading program that targets high school students. This initiative promotes the enjoyment of reading by encouraging students to read both classic and contemporary literature, and rewards them for their efforts. Read 4 books from the list of 25 to receive a certificate of achievement signed by Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White. Read all 25 books or at least 4 books from the list all 4 years of high and school get special recognition.
Registration is now open for the “2024-2025 Read for a Lifetime” program through Beanstack.
1000 Books Before Kindergarten!
Birth-Grade K.
1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a program that gives the exciting challenge to read 1000 books with your child before he or she enters kindergarten.
Log your books using Beanstack. Feel free to repeat titles if you read them more than once. You will then visit the Preschool Desk to receive your halfway prize once you reach 500 books and once you finish your 1,000. Happy reading!
100 Books Before High School
Grades 4-8
What better way to prepare for high school than reading books? Keep track of the books you’ve read using Beanstack. Visit the library for a halfway prize when you’ve read 50 books. Once you reach your 100 book goal, stop in for a free book and other goodies to help you get ready for high school.