In the Spotlight

Spend the Summer Reading with Your Library!

Spend the Summer Reading with Your Library!

Your Library's Summer Reading Program is for all ages, and it runs from June 5-July 22. Sign up today to get started!

Post Author

Hannah Kiger

The signs of summer are everywhere these days—in the heat and humidity, gardens coming to life, the end of the school year—and of course, the beginning of your Library’s Summer Reading Program!

If you’re not familiar with Summer Reading, it’s an annual nationwide reading challenge. People set reading goals and spend the summer tracking their progress, winning prizes, and attending events.

Librarians began offering summer reading programs in the 1890s as a way of encouraging kids to continue reading during their summer vacations. The goal was to keep young kids actively reading and learning over the summer so that they retained the reading and comprehension skills they gained during the school year.

The Summer Reading Program is now offered for all age groups: preschoolers, school age kids, teens, and adults. But the goal is the same as it was over 100 years ago: read, read, read!

The purpose of our Summer Reading is to keep kids, and really everyone, reading during the summer. It’s more important than ever to encourage people to read as much as possible.”

JCPL Director Julia Turpin

Summer Reading 2023

This year’s Summer Reading runs from Monday, June 5-Saturday, July 22. The theme is ‘All Together Now,’ so events, reading recommendations, and prizes focus on local and global community topics.

It’s super easy to sign up and participate in Summer Reading! To get started, click below to register yourself and/or your kids in Beanstack, our reading challenge portal.

Register

Once you’ve created a general Beanstack account, you’ll be able to sign up for Summer Reading 2023.

You’ll use your Beanstack account all summer to log the books or minutes you read, write and read book reviews, and find book recommendations from your librarians.

You can also earn virtual badges in Beanstack when you complete Summer Reading activities, such as reading a recommended book or attending a Library event.


The Beanstack App

We have an easy-to-use Summer Reading app called Beanstack Tracker, which you can download on your Apple or Android device. This makes it simple to track your reading anytime, anywhere!

We’re here to help if you have questions about downloading or using the app! Call the Children’s Library at (423) 434-4458 or Adult and Teen Services at (423) 434-4454 if you need assistance.


Prizes

Along with virtual Beanstack badges, you can also win physical prizes throughout Summer Reading! All ages are entered into prize drawings when they log reading and activities in Beanstack.

Teens and adults are entered into weekly drawings for books, journals, gift cards to local businesses, and more.

Prizes for kids include Scholastic Dollars, trading cards, and other goodies. (Kids can spend their Scholastic Dollars at our Scholastic Book Fair in August!)


Events

We’ll have events for all ages throughout the summer. This year’s Summer Reading theme is ‘All Together Now,’ so many of our events focus on local or global community topics.

Events for adults will focus on local interests. Throughout the summer, adults can learn about Appalachian art and history, participate in a community cleanup with Boone Watershed Partnership, and attend a Narcan and fentanyl test strip training led by Insight Alliance.

We’ll also host a pet adoption event with Appalachian Highlands Humane Society.

Your kids will enjoy a ton of fun and educational events throughout Summer Reading. Along with regular storytimes and game nights, we’ll have special events every Thursday with Hands On! Museum, Zoo Knoxville, Princess Parties by Mary Katherine, and others.

Discover Summer Reading Events

For more information about Summer Reading, call the Children’s Library at (423) 434-4458 or Adult and Teen Services at (423) 434-4454.

Stay up-to-date on our Summer Reading happenings by following Johnson City Public Library on Facebook and Instagram!

All Ages