Programs and Events

Reading Challenges

Enjoy a challenge and love prizes? Register online through Beanstack and participate in KFPL's summer reading challenges. 

Summer Reading Challenges Coming Soon!

Image of people reading around large plants and books. The text reads, Green Reads Earth Month Reading Challenge.

This summer, we will be offering three Summer Reading Challenges through Beanstack:

  • TD Summer Reading Club for ages 0-12
  • Book-It List for ages 13-18
  • Bask in Books for adults

 Registration opens Friday, May 30. The challenges start Saturday, June 14, and run until Sunday, Aug. 24.

Reading Challenges for Children

TD Summer Reading Club Pre-reader (0-5)

Get ready for a summer full of stories with the TD Summer Reading Club at KFPL! Kids ages 0 to 5 can track listening and reading time in 20-minute intervals and complete fun activities to earn badges on Beanstack. Random draws will take place in June, July and August. The grand prize—a $100 Indigo gift card and a goody basket—will be awarded to one lucky participant who completes the challenge by logging 240 minutes of reading and at least five activities.

 Monthly winners will be notified at the end of each month, and the grand prize winner will be contacted on Monday, August 25. 

A paper booklet won't be available this year, but we're excited to welcome children and their caregivers to the Library each week to talk with staff about their reading, receive a sticker, and add their name to the achievement wall.

TD Summer Reading Club School Age (6-12)

Kids ages 6 to 12 can track their reading and listening in 30-minute intervals and complete fun activities to earn badges on Beanstack. Random draws will be held in June, July and August. The grand prize—a $100 Indigo gift card and a goody basket—will go to one participant who completes 330 minutes of reading and at least five activities.

 Monthly winners will be notified at the end of each month, and the grand prize winner will be contacted on Monday, August 25. 

Reading Challenges for Teens

Teen Summer Book-It List Reading Challenge

Complete activities, write reviews and log your reading minutes on Beanstack to earn badges. Each badge gives you an entry into our weekly prize draw for a chance to win a Fuji Film Instax Mini Camera with film, a lululemon Crossbody Bag, Owala water bottle, tickets to The Screening Room and more. You'll also earn entries for the grand prize—a pair of AirPods Pro 2!

 Weekly winners will be notified on the Monday following the previous week's activities and challenges. The grand prize winner will be notified on Monday, August 25. 

Reading Challenges for Adults

Bask in Books Adult Summer Reading Challenge

Complete activities, write reviews and log your reading minutes on Beanstack to earn badges. Each badge gives you an entry into our weekly prize draw for a chance to win a Fujifilm Instax Mini camera with film, a Magic Bullet blender, gift cards to local businesses such as Novel Idea and The Screening Room and more! Each badge also counts as an entry into our grand prize draw for a lunch cruise for two with Kingston Thousand Islands Cruises.

 Weekly prize winners will be notified on the Monday following that week’s activities and challenges. The grand prize winner will be contacted on Monday, August 25. 

Additional Reading Challenges 

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten 

Image features the KFPL logo, and an adult sitting on a couch with two kids. The text reads: "1000 Books Before Kindergarten. Read it and Reap!"

Helping your child to be a successful reader just got more fun thanks to the generous support of The Friends of the Library. 1000 Books Before Kindergarten (1BBK) is a free literacy program for newborns, babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. The goal? Read 1000 books with your little one before they start Kindergarten.

Take KFPL's 1000 Books pledge—and we'll be your cheerleaders. 1BBK can help your little one develop a love of reading, provides you with opportunities to bond, and helps your child develop the early literacy skills they need for success later in life.

1000 Books Before Kindergarten Impact

Your child's learning starts at birth. Did you know:

  • By age three, a child's brain has reached 80 percent of its adult volume.
  • The brain develops most rapidly during the first 1000 days of a child's life.
  • A toddler's brain creates up to two million new connections every second.
  • Early experiences and interactions are key factors in a child's brain development. According to the Canadian Pediatric Society, "early exposure to language—whether through books, words, or songs—can help prevent problems and promote health." (Canadian Paediatric Society, 2016)
  • A child's ability to learn language skills is most significant before age six.
  • Early literacy skills have a lifelong impact on educational, social and occupational successes.
  • Being read to during early childhood is a predictor of school readiness and success.

Does reading 1000 books before your child reaches Kindergarten sound intimidating? You can reach this milestone by establishing a daily reading habit. You can read one book or multiple books each day—it's up to you.

  • Three books a day for one year = 1,095 books
  • One book a day for three years = 1,095 books

How to participate

Use our simple logging tool, Beanstack, to track your reading and earn badges along the way. 

If you prefer to track your progress using a physical chart, stop by any KFPL branch or use the stay-at-home version you can print and colour yourself. 

We recommend displaying your tracker somewhere in your home that is highly visible! Remember, you can repeat books as many times as you want, and virtual storytimes and audiobooks count, too. You can pick up your free book bag when you're halfway done (500 books)! Once you've finished all 1000 books, you will receive a certificate and prize! 

Ready? Set? Start reading!