How do I participate?
Youth (Babies - Grade 8)
Read for 5 hours to complete the Winter Reading Challenge and earn a paperback book plus an additional prize. For each hour you read (up to 10 hours), you can enter a ticket in a drawing to win one of the youth grand prize baskets!
Teen (Grades 9-12)
Earn 50 Book Bucks/Tickets just for registering for the Winter Reading Challenge! One hour of reading earns you 25 Book Bucks/Tickets that can be used for prize drawings. Mini-prizes are earned along the way. Read for 25 hours to complete the program. Earn extra Book Bucks/Tickets by completing 5 different activities. Book Bucks/Tickets can be entered to win one of the teen grand prize baskets!
Adult (Ages 18+)
Collect coupons and small prizes for the first three books you read. For each book you read (up to 15), you can enter a ticket in a drawing to win one of the adult grand prize baskets!
What are the prizes, and how do I get the prizes I earn?
All three grand prize drawings (Youth, Teen and Adult), will take place the week after the Winter Reading Challenge concludes. Please note: These images are not representative of the final prize--contents may vary.
- Just for registering for the Winter Reading Challenge, you earn a bookmark and packet of hot cocoa mix.
- For every hour that you read (up to 10 hours), you get a ticket to enter in the grand prize drawing for one of the five youth prize baskets. You can choose which basket you want your tickets to go towards in Beanstack or ask Library staff to help you assign them.
- When you reach 5 hours of reading time, you earn a paperback book. Children 2 and under also earn a small baby/toddler prize. Children ages 3 through grade 8 earn their choice of a fidget spinner, bouncy ball, or a mystery prize selected by Library staff.
- When you’ve earned your prize, Beanstack will send an email that includes a form asking you to choose your prizes. Once you’ve completed the form, wait to hear from Library staff that your prizes are ready to pick up! Can’t find the email with the form? Call 847-458-6060 ext 135 for help.
Grand Prize Basket Choices: $50 Amazon Gift Card; Cuddly Basket; Five Below Basket; LEGO Basket; Yum Cooking Basket
- Just for registering for the Winter Reading Challenge, teens earn 50 Book Bucks/Tickets.
- For every hour that you read (up to 25 hours), you’ll get 25 Book Bucks/Tickets.
- Book Bucks/Tickets can be entered in the grand prize drawing to win one of three teen prize baskets! You choose which basket you want your Book Bucks/Tickets to go towards. Mini-prizes are also awarded along the way:
- 10 hours: Hot Cocoa Packet
- 15 Hours: Paperback Book
- 25 Hours: $5 Starbucks Gift Card
When you reach a prize point, email teen@aapld.org to arrange for prize selection and pickup.
Grand Prize Basket Choices: $50 Amazon Gift Card; Cozy Basket; Tasty Treats
- For every book that you read (up to 15 books), you get a ticket to enter in the grand prize drawing for one of the six adult prize baskets. You can choose which basket you want your tickets to go towards in Beanstack or ask Library staff to help you assign them.
- Earn mini-prizes along the way as well!
- Book 1: Hot Cocoa Packet
- Book 2: Choose a coupon for either Churros y Chocolate or Scorched Earth Brewing Company
- Book 3: Soup Mug
- When you reach a prize point, call 847-458-6060 ext 143 or email refdesk@aapld.org to arrange for prize selection and pickup.
Grand Prize Basket Choices: Binge Basket; Book Lovers; Coffee Lovers; Cozy Basket; Culinary Basket; Eastgate Basket
Frequently Asked Questions
You can reset your password yourself from the Sign In page. Still stuck? Contact the Library via phone, email, or the Contact Us form and we can reset your password for you.
Try your Library card number or email address. Still stuck? Contact the Library via phone, email, or the Contact Us form and we can look up your Username for you.
Beanstack is our online reading program software. When you create a Beanstack account for yourself or your family, you’re instantly connected to all our Algonquin Library reading programs, so you’ll get credit for every minute and every page. We’ll keep all your stats for you, cheer you on while you work towards your program goals, and let you know when you’ve earned prizes. When a reading challenge ends, you keep your account, and your reading history—it’s always free, and you can keep right on logging your leisure reading. When the next library reading program comes around, no need to re-register—just click on it, and you’re in.
Of course. You can set up as many profiles as you like, for readers of any age. And if you’re a parent who reads aloud to more than one kid at a time, you can credit that reading time to multiple children’s accounts with a single click—no need to log it in separately for each of your avid listeners.
If you have a library card, we would like you to use it as your Username. Your library card can be from any library. If you do not have a library card, you can still sign up for Winter Reading, just use an email address as your Username.
Log Online:
- Go to our Winter Reading website beginning December 14 and click on the “Sign In” button to get to your Beanstack account.
- Once you are logged in, you can click the “Log Reading and Activities” button in the upper left corner to log your reading or record an activity.
- To log for different readers, change the reader in the drop down menu on the upper right.
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You will need to backdate your reading to February 1st for it to count for the Winter Reading Program.
Log using the Beanstack Tracker app:
- Download the Beanstack Tracker app to get started: Google Play IOS
- To log your reading, flip your book over and use your phone to scan the barcode on the back. For Teen and Youth challenge participants, be sure to add the number of minutes or hours that you read. If you are participating in the Teen Winter Reading Challenge, you’ll see Activities as well—just click the ones you’ve done.
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You will need to backdate your reading to February 1st for it to count for the Winter Reading Program.
You can print out a paper log or ask for one at the Harnish Library Drive-up Window or with Curbside Pickup at the Eastgate Branch Library. Track your reading on the paper log; then, call the library at 847-458-6060 ext 135 (Youth) or ext 143 (Adult and Teen) and we will log your books online for you and arrange for you to receive any prizes earned.
Yes, all those items count toward completing your reading goals.