500 Books Before Middle School is a multi-year, self-paced, literacy program that encourages children to read 500 books before they enter middle school.
This fun and free program has no end date except your child’s going to middle school – so don’t feel rushed, just enjoy the experience! Reading 2 books per week will equal 104 books in a year! Complete 208 books in just 2 years, and 312 books in 3 years! And remember, re-reading books, listening to audiobooks, and reading with a friend/parent/teacher all count towards the 500 book goal.
Who Can Participate?
Any child ages 5+ who has not yet entered middle school.
Why Participate?
Why not? Reading is an important skill for our school-aged children. Fostering a love of reading in your child will ultimately help with everything from math and science to art and music. Reading independently aids students with academic success and beyond.
How to Participate:
- Register for the program online through Beanstack.
- Record the titles of the books you’ve read through your Beanstack account. If you read a book more than once, you can record it each time. Books read in school, with friends, and with family count. Listening to audiobooks also counts!
- When you finish 50 books, come to the library and receive a prize. Prizes are awarded at every 50 book milestone (ex: 50, 100, 150…)
- After finishing 500 books, your child will receive a certificate of completion, a free book and will also have their name inscribed on a book plate in a chapter book in the children’s collection!