Online Summer Reading
May 27–Aug 21, 2021
Explore the animal world with us, from our backyard buddies to the wild kingdom, through stories and online events for all ages!
Read a total of 30 hours this summer — just 20 minutes each day! You'll win cool prizes from generous local sponsors when you finish.
If you, your kiddos, and teens spend the summer reading with us, you’ll be on the right track to repairing the toll the pandemic has had on your family’s life and keep your student's brain active for a successful return to school.
Here's how it works
1
Get the Beanstack app or jump ahead to sign up
2
Create an account for yourself and/or your kids
3
Pick a reading challenge that's right for you
4
Log times, earn badges, attend events, win prizes!
Free Badge Books for K–5 Kids
If your kiddo is starting school in grades K–5 next year, they'll get this cool Badge Book when they sign up. It's part reading journal, activity book, and book log, and is full of space to write, draw, and track progress.
Each Badge Book connects kids to a set of realistic reading goals, then rewards their efforts with over 100 themed stickers and digital badges.
Badge Books make reading more fun and motivate kids to read more — while keeping track of the books your family reads.
The books work hand-in-hand with the free Beanstack Mobile App available on Android and iOS. Simply swipe your phone over any book cover to "log" the book and get credit for every minute your child reads.
Supplies are limited!
Prizes for Finishers
KIDS & TEENS — 1 pair of Payless shoes at 50% off, 1 Eileen’s cookie, 1 Royal Crest Lanes bowling game, 1 book, 2 books from LPLFF book sale, 1 Culver’s sundae, 1 t.Loft protein ball; KIDS ONLY — 1 mini plush animal; TEENS ONLY — 1 tee featuring the winning Teen design, 1 blank journal, 2 entries in a grand prize drawing for $100 Downtown Lawrence gift card and $100 gaming gift card of your choice; ADULTS — 1 small Liberty Hall popcorn for first 400 finishers, 1 t.Loft protein ball, 1 Royal Crest Lanes bowling game, 2 books from LPLFF book sale, 1 8-oz Merc brewed coffee, Free delivery from Eat Street, Weekly raffle for gift cards
BONUS Prizes
As part of our Youth Summer Reading efforts to help everyone read more diversely, we're partnering with READ Lawrence to get books by or featuring BIPOC* authors and characters in the hands of Lawrence kids and teens.
Finish the challenge and win:
- 1 coupon for a downtown mystery "freebie"
- 1 entry into a local book store gift card drawing
READ Lawrence seeks to promote education and personal development on matters of racial justice and equity by collecting and distributing books written by BIPOC authors on subjects relating to the challenges and successes of BIPOC people.
*Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
ADULTS
ADULTS
TEENS
TEENS
KIDS
KIDS
COMING SOON
The Beanstalk app is awesome, but for you old-school Summer Readers who love holding a paper log in your hands, here's a downloadable 8.5x11" record for capturing your efforts. This is what 30 hours looks like!
Click image to enlarge
- Combat summer learning loss
- Improve reading skills
- Increase desire to read
- Improve self-esteem
- Improve comprehension
- Improve memory skills
This summer may be the best opportunity in a generation, opens a new window to connect kids and teens with books. With the school year finishing, we've got extra time on our hands. Summer Reading is a great way to spend it and our brains will thank us for it:
Numerous studies indicate that students who don’t read or read infrequently during their summer vacation see their reading abilities stagnate or decline. This effect becomes more pronounced as students get older and advance through the school system. The situation for economically disadvantaged students is especially grim: if students from low-income families don’t read over the summer, they are much more likely to fall behind their more privileged peers, widening the “achievement gap.”
Imagine More.
A million thank yous to our literacy heroes!
