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Winter Reading Challenge 2024-25

Winter Reading logo with books stacked.

Join our Winter Reading Challenge

Sign up, read books, and earn prizes for reading. And, when you complete the challenge, you'll earn a finisher prize and the chance to be entered into drawings for the chance to win other great prizes. 

What you can win

Adult Prizes: Adults who sign up and read at least four books will earn a notebook and a chance to win a $100 Book Bin gift card. Each time you log a book, we’ll enter you into a weekly drawing for a gift card. You can also complete a bonus activity for a chance to win a self-care kit.

Youth & Teen Prizes (Birth – Grade 12): Sign up and track your reading minutes to earn a book, a completion prize, and drawing tickets for a chance to win one of our Grand Prizes!

Ready to get started? There are two ways you can participate:

  • Sign up and log your reading at the library

Starting December 1, adults can register and pick up a paper reading log at the Reference desk (2nd floor) or Fiction & Media desk (3rd floor), and youth and teens can register and pick up a paper reading log at the Youth Services desk (2nd floor).  And after you sign up, if you need extra reading logs, you can also print one here: Print an Adult Reading Log | Print a Youth (Teen/Youth/Baby) Reading Log.

  • Sign up and log reading online using the Beanstack website or app 

Starting December 1, you can use the Beanstack website or the Beanstack app (Apple or Google) to sign up and track your reading.

How to sign up and log your reading on the Beanstack website (https://northbrookpl.beanstack.org)

Parents/caregivers can set up one registered account holder and then add children to the account, which makes it easy to log reading with just a couple of taps. 

Note: If you've already created an account on Beanstack, you're all set for any of our future Summer and Winter Reading Challenges. 

  1. Visit the Beanstack website.
  2. If you don't already have a Beanstack account, select the "Register an Individual or Family" button under Create an account.
  3. You will be asked if you have previously used Beanstack. If you already have a Beanstack account, click "Yes." If it is your first time using Beanstack, select "No." 
  4. You will be asked who you would like to register. You can either register yourself as an individual or register as an adult who would also like to register one or more children.
  5. Enter your account information, including your first and last name, a username, a phone number, and a password. You can also enter your email address, but it is optional. If you are also registering a child, you can also enter your child's information at the bottom of the screen. After you register yourself, you will be given the chance to register additional children.
  6. Once you have created an account, you can log your reading (or reading for other members of your family) by selecting the "Log Reading" button at the top of the screen. You can search for a book's title, author, ISBN, or scan its UPC barcode.

How to register and log your reading on the Beanstack app

 Parents/caregivers can set up one registered account holder and then add children to the account, which makes it easy to log reading with just a couple of taps. Beanstack for iPhone/iPad  Beanstack for Android

Note: If you've already created an account on Beanstack, you're all set for any of our future Summer and Winter Reading Challenges. 

  1. To sign in and start logging your reading using the Beanstack app for Apple or Android devices: 
    • Tap "Let's Go."

    • Tap "At my library, school, or bookstore."

    • Tap "Find a Site" and then type Northbrook into the search field, and select "Northbrook Public Library" from the list that appears.

    • If you don't already have a Beanstack account, tap "Sign Up" at the bottom of the screen, then tap "No" if this is the first time you are using Beanstack to participate in a reading challenge. After that, you will be asked to create a user name, add your email address, and create a password.

  2. Once you have created an account for yourself (and any other members of your family who would like to register), you can enter your reading activity by tapping the "+" button. You can search for a book's title, author, ISBN, or scan its UPC barcode.

Have questions? 


Winter Reading is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Northbrook Public Library and the Thomas & Kathleen Laird Family Foundation.