Reading Challenges
Enjoy a challenge and love prizes? KFPL has you covered! You'll find old favourites like the TD Summer Reading Club for children, and new challenges linked to library programs, special themes, or just for the love of reading!
Reading challenges are available online through Beanstack. You can use the desktop version or download the mobile app. If challenges are not for you, you can also use Beanstack to track your reading and get personalized recommendations sent directly to your inbox.
Get started on Beanstack
- Download the Beanstack Tracker app from your mobile device’s app store or visit our Beanstack website.
- On the app, locate Kingston Frontenac Public Library from the drop-down menu.
- Register for an account. If more than one person in your household is registering (we have challenges for all age groups), select “I am Registering Myself” first, then add additional family members after you register yourself.
- Select one of the various challenges available, based on your age. If challenges are not your style, you can still use Beanstack to log what you read.
- Check out the Beanstack FAQ below for tips to get you started.
Beanstack requires a valid email address to register for an account. Learn more about Beanstack’s privacy policy
KFPL Reading Challenges
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
Helping your child to be a successful reader just got more fun! Thanks to the generous support of The Friends of the Library, KFPL launched 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten on September 1, 2023.
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 along the way. 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 3, a child’s brain has reached 80 percent of its adult volume.
- The brain develops most rapidly during the first 1,000 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 factor 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 greatest before the age of 6.
- 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.
3 books a day for 1 year = 1,095 books
1 book a day for 3 years = 1,095 books
How to participate
Use our simple logging tool Beanstack to track your reading and earn badges all 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 that 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.
When you're halfway done (500 books) pick up your free book bag! Once you've finished all 1000 books, you will receive a certificate and prize!
Ready? Set? Start reading!
Teen Reading Challenge
September 18, 2023 to June 27, 2024
Read books, complete fun challenges and get involved with the library. The Teen Reading Challenge is fun, free, and open to any person aged 13-17 in Kingston and Frontenac County.
Every book you read, review you write, or activity you complete enters you for a chance to win a custom book box provided generously by OwlCrate.
You can receive entries just by:
- Signing up on Beanstack
- Reading a book for school
- Reading a graphic novel
- Visiting your favourite KFPL branch
Catch you there!
Coming soon: TD Summer Reading Club
From June 15 to August 24, register online and log your summer reading and complete activities for entries to win monthly prizes!
Kids ages 0-12 (yes, even babies!) can participate in the TD SRC anytime, anywhere – at their local library branch, at home, online, on the road or wherever their summer takes them.
The TD Summer Reading Club is for children of all abilities, no matter how they read! On the national TD Summer Reading Club website, you can find SRC notebooks adapted for physical, visual or learning disabilities. The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) website also has SRC books in accessible formats, such as DAISY audio and braille.
Beanstack FAQ
What is Beanstack?
It’s the world’s easiest way to keep track of all the books you read. When you create a Beanstack account for yourself or your family, you are instantly connected to KFPL's reading programs, so you’ll get credit for every minute and every page. We’ll keep all your stats for you, cheer you on while you work towards your program goals, and let you know when you’ve earned prizes. When your library’s program ends, you keep your account, and your reading history—it’s always free, and you can keep logging your leisure reading. When the next library program comes around, no need to re-register—just click on it, and you’re in.
How do I log my reading or activities?
If you use the app to access Beanstack, you can use your phone to scan the barcode on the back of your book. If you want to get fancy, you can also enter the number of pages, minutes, or hours (nice work!) that you read. If your current Challenge uses Activities, they’ll be there on your screen—just click the ones you’ve done. Prefer to use your computer to log your reading? No problem. You can always enter your reading through your Beanstack account online, too.
How do I get the prizes I earn in Beanstack?
Every time you hit a reading milestone, you’ll win a badge—a little digital fist bump to celebrate the quality time your brain and your books have been spending together. Certain badges will get you tickets in a prize draw. Your Challenge should have all the details, or talk to our staff.
May I add more than one reader to my account?
You can set up as many profiles as you like, for readers of any age. And if you’re a parent who reads aloud to more than one kid at a time, you can credit that reading time to multiple children’s accounts with a single click—no need to log it in separately for each of your avid listeners.
How do I update my password?
Tap that little “gear” button in the top right and hit “Edit Account.”
How do I stop getting emails from Beanstack?
Just click “Edit Reader” (it’s right next to your name) and hit “No” under Email Notifications.
