Summer Reading kicks off June 22 and runs through July 31, 2020. Summer Reading is a fun program designed to engage all age groups in exploring new ideas, books and activities. The program is free and there are no fees for any of the events or activities. As you read books and engage in the activities, you are eligible to win badges and prizes.
Summer Reading may not look the same for 2020, but COVID-19 can't stop us from having some fun! As of now, our doors are still closed, though we are still offering curbside/drive-thru pickup service. In light of this, we are moving a large portion of Summer Reading online. We will be offering contactless activity bags for take-home fun, on-your-own scavenger hunts around your town and county, fun games outdoors, and of course prizes for accomplishing reading goals!
Our reading goals look fairly similar but instead of tracking your time on a printed record and collecting paper drawing tickets, you can do it online on your phone or computer. The best way to track your progress is through the Beanstack app or web site. Beginning June 22, 2020, you can start recording your reading time and participate in the activities, located exclusively in Beanstack.
To get the most out of your summer reading experience, we recommend that you create a Beanstack account. Parents can also create accounts for their children. In Beanstack, you can view the available activities, enter the minutes you have read, write book reviews and more. You will receive prizes as you progress and be entered into drawings at the end of the summer. To register, visit the Beanstack website or login through the app.
Beanstack Tracker app available for iOS and Android.
Beanstack will automatically direct you to the appropriate activities based on your age. There are four age groups: pre-readers (ages 0-6), independent readers (ages 6-11), young adults (ages 11-18), and adults (18 & up). Children who fall in an age that overlaps a program may choose which program to participate in (For example, a 6-year-old may choose to participate in the younger PreReader program to be required to finish less hours of reading). When setting up a Beanstack account, please include an email address or telephone number as part of your profile if you wish to be contacted about prizes and drawing.
One really cool thing about Beanstack is that a parent or adult can create one account with multiple readers-- meaning, one login to remember for the whole family! You can access each family member's page in the same account and even log minutes read one time for the whole family. Let's say, a dad reads to his 9-year-old and 4-year-old for half an hour before bed. He could later go into Beanstack and log 30 minutes for "All Readers" and have those 30 minutes count toward each child's goal (and his own too!), saving time and headache.
Just like years past, we challenge readers to record the time they spend reading in their log (now online). The more hours they read, the more online badges they earn and the more virtual tickets they earn to enter for awesome prizes! Badges and tickets can also be earned by completing activities, like doing a scavenger hunt or reading outside or taking a walk to a new place. Each age group has their own set of prizes to enter to win and you select where you want your raffle tickets to go -- towards gift certificates, tickets to places, or other prizes.
This year's Summer Reading theme, "Imagine Your Story," is all about fairy tales, mythology and fantasy, but you can read anything you like! Although our doors are not currently open, we happily offer our curbside/drive-thru pickup options for materials requested from our catalog, filling out a PACKED survey and receiving a personalized bag of books, and checking out eBooks or eAudiobooks online through Libby (the Ohio Digital Library) or Hoopla! Readers are also welcome to read material that they have at home.
We have similar reading goals to years past with the added fun of completing activities in addition to logging hours.
- PreReaders (Ages 0-6): Families of kids ages 0-6 are challenged to earn 8 virtual badges this summer: at least 6 badges (or 6 hours) of reading and 2 badges of anything else (activities, scavenger hunts, etc.). PreReaders who earn at least 8 badges will earn a $5 gift card to their choice from our list plus many tickets to enter our virtual prize drawings too!
- Independent Readers (Ages 6-11): Kids ages 6-11 are challenged to earn 14 virtual badges this summer: at least 12 badges (or 12 hours) of reading and 2 badges of anything else (activities, scavenger hunts, etc.). Independent Readers who earn at least 14 badges will earn a $5 gift card to their choice from our list plus many tickets to enter our virtual prize drawings too!
- Young Adults (Ages 11-18): Tweens and teens ages 11-18 are challenged to earn 14 virtual badges this summer: at least 12 badges (or 12 hours) of reading and 2 badges of anything else (activities, scavenger hunts, etc.). Young Adult Readers who earn at least 14 badges will earn a $5 gift card to their choice from our list plus many tickets to enter our virtual prize drawings too!
- Adults (Ages 18 & up): Adults are encouraged to make Summer Reading their own this year! Adults may choose to log their time spent reading as well, or they may choose to write book reviews, or complete activities (scavenger hunts, missions, reading challenges, etc.) too! Adults also earn prize drawing tickets to enter into virtual prize drawings, including gift certificates, wine tastings, museum memberships and more!
Earning badges by either reading or completing activities will earn you prize drawing tickets just like in the past, but this time they are virtual. You will have a bank of tickets and will be able to enter them in the prizes (think: prize "buckets") that you want to try to win. Prizes vary between each age group. Prizes may include gift cards to local places, tickets to museums or other attractions, TVs, rocking chairs, movie passes and more! For our kids, instead of a pool party this year, we will be offering a guaranteed prize of a $5 gift certificate to a place of their choice off our list to take and buy what they would like (e.g., ice cream, pizza, toys, etc.).
If you have any questions, contact us at 419-738-5964 or email kspyker@auglaizelibraries.org.
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Check out the video below for a brief intro to the app.
If you can't participate online, we have provided a simplified paper copy for readers to use. Please note: the paper copy is limited in the activity and particularly in the prize options. For a more robust Summer Reading Program, we encourage you to use our online Beanstack program. If you choose to use the paper copy, please click on the PDF below, print and track at home OR pick up a printed paper copy at your next library curbside/drive-thru appointment.