School ended on Friday and we know lots of folks are anxious for the beginning of our Summer Reading Program. This week’s blog post is going to lay out all the anticipated FAQ answers for this year’s events!
Is Summer Reading just for kids?
Absolutely not! We encourage everyone to participate in Summer Reading with us. Whether you just want to track your reading for extra motivation, or you’re interested in our steady calendar of events, we want everyone to stop into the library this summer. (It’s also a great time to work on our Reading Challenge calendar!)
When does Summer Reading officially start?
Our Reading Log tracking will open on Beanstack, June 1st. Paper versions will be available at the desk, or you can track using Beanstack.
How do I participate in Summer Reading?
No registration is required! If you want to participate in summer reading, here’s what you’ll do
- Decide how you’re tracking your reading
- Beanstack: online or in app. Visit cadott.beanstack.com
- Paper Trackers – Easy 2-sided tracker for up to 1000 minutes, in 30 minute increments
- Visit the library and let a librarian know, “I’ll be doing Summer Reading and would like my pocket pal!”
- Get your pocket pal from our capsule machine (we’ll supply the quarter!
- Go track your reading!
I see there is also a Bingo Card option. What’s up with that?
For some, racking up those minutes during the summer is hard! So, we wanted to give the opportunity to continue earning pocket pals and rewards by attending library programs, exploring the community, and other adventuring. Bingo Cards will be available on a weekly basis beginning July 1st and continue for 7 weeks. We will reward up to 6 “black out” cards with Pocket Pals. Single-Line Bingos will earn stickers and a small prize from our treasure chest.
Do we have to do both reading tracking AND Bingo Cards?
Nope! If you prefer one over the other, go for it. We strive for our Summer Reading tracking, in whichever way you choose, to be stress free and fun.
I have a hard time tracking my time for reading. Why can’t we just count pages?
Simply, minutes read is a more “fair” tracking mechanism. It isn’t dependent on how fast someone can read a book, or how big the books are. If you read for 30 minutes as a family, everyone earns 30 minutes of reading time, instead of a varied number of pages.
Do you have suggestions for keeping an accurate time count?
We have timers available at the library for those who like to know exactly how much time they’ve spent reading. These are available first-come-first-serve, courtesy of the Friends of the Cadott Community Library. Battery not included. Also! Please note, we’re not going to test you or expect 100% accuracy. We just ask that you do your best!
Can you explain the Pocket Pals?
First, Pocket Pals are for EVERYONE, not just the kid readers! We hope our teen and adult readers will have as much fun collecting these new little friends as the kids do. They are simply small animals that, well, fit in your pocket! We have a variety of friends including: ducks, penguins, axolotls, dinosaurs, bunnies, turtles, and chickens.
The Pocket Pals can be earned by completing reading logs and bingo challenges over the summer with a maximum of 6*. We encourage folks to take their pals with them wherever they go over the summer (we’ll also provide an egg carrying case for your pal’s security). You can share photos on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok with the hashtag #CadottReads. You can also tag the library at @CadottLibrary on most platforms to be sure we see them!
At the end of the summer, on August 21st, we will be having a Pocket Pal Habitat Building day. I’ve put together a couple of examples of these habitats that will be on display at the library throughout the summer. Mr. Kotek will be joining us, and is also giving away from goodies and pals for the school’s Summer Reading tracking as well. Kids are encouraged to come a morning build at 10:30 AM, but we will have supplies out and be building all day so folks can take their time.
*Max may vary based on supply!
Is there an alternative for kids who aren’t old enough for such small toys? (Or, I really don’t want these things in my house!)
For parents who would prefer their children not to receive the Pocket Pals, we do have squishy mochi toys instead or we’re happy to substitute with stickers if that’s a preference. We are also happy to hold off on giving Pals to your kids until the end of the summer for building their habitats.
How do we claim our Pals when we’ve earned them?
Either bring in your Reading Log as you earn them to pick them up (or ask us to check at the desk on Beanstack throughout the summer or come in when Summer Reading ends (August 17th) to get the rest of your pals. We encourage you to do whatever works for YOU and your family when it comes to the pals. We hope you’ll take at least 1 on summer adventures!27
Can I “double dip” my reading with other challenges?
Please do! I’m a firm believer of “work smarter, not harder”. If your kids are working on the school’s summer reading challenges, or our other Beanstack challenges, feel free to input your titles, minutes, or pages in whatever way makes sense. This is a great time to check out some of our other challenges, like the Caldecott or Newbery Winners.
What have you got on the program/event calendar for the summer?
The easiest way to see what’s going on is to look at our calendar on the website, because we may still be adding in some additional programs. Right now, we have weekly events, such as Stitch-In continuing this summer. New, there will be two gaming programs (one all ages, one 14+) and Adventure Flix Fridays, and Storytime in the Park starting in July.
Some one-time programs we have include Sushi Day, a BadgerTalk “The Viking Sword That Wasn’t” with Dr. Marcus Cederstrom (I am so excited about this one!), and a book discussion for Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
Do I have to register for any of the events?
Nope!
I hope that answered MOST of the questions we usually, or I anticipated, receiving for this year’s events. If there was something you’d like to know about that I didn’t cover, please feel free to drop us a message on Facebook or Instagram, send an e-mail to cadottpl@cadottlibrary.org, or just give us a call.
We hope you’re as excited for our summer of adventure as we are!