Summer Reading 2026: Plant a Seed, Read
This year's theme is "Plant a Seed, Read!" We could not be MORE excited to share a wonderful summer with our community!
Check the calendars below for take home programming, children's and teen's programming, and adult programs as well! We'll be out and about in Columbus Junction at the Chin Church and Victory Christian Church. We're incredibly thankful for the use of their spaces *AND KITCHENS* so we can do some amazingly fun food based programs with this year's theme!
Summer Reading Sponsors
Without amazing sponsors, we couldn't offer the programs, prizes, and events we have planned! Please make sure to let these wonderful businesses and organizations know how much you appreciate their support of our library!
Wiele Motor Company
Washington State Bank
Community Bank
El Mariachi
United Methodist Church
Friends of CJPL
Dairy Sweet
Fun City
Riverside Casino & Golf Course
Calendars
Beanstack/Reading Challenge
Log your reading minutes to win prizes!
All reading needs to be logged via the Beanstack website or app. When you create your Beanstack account, you'll create an account, select your age, and create additional readers in your household, if you so choose, which is perfect for little readers without their own electronic devices. Challenges that fit for those readers' age groups will be the only ones available to register for. Log the minutes and assign your virtual tickets for prize drawings for each 100 minutes of reading (capped at 36 tickets total). Make sure to have all your minutes logged and tickets assigned by midnight on July 31!
Photos of prize options for each of the age groups (0-9, 10-17, and 18+) are on Beanstack, or can be found at the library!
Bookmarks are available at the library to help with our littlest readers tracking their minutes - parents simply upload a completed bookmark at once for simplicity! All reading counts - audiobooks, reading as a family, older siblings reading to younger ones. ALL reading is good reading!
Other Reading Challenges
Pizza Hut is back with Book It! for ages preschool-6th grade. Download the app to log minutes and receive your free pizza voucher! Click the Book It! log above to be sent to Pizza Hut's page with all the details!
Second Lady Usha Vance is hosting a summer reading challenge in honor of America250! Download a log and submit all materials to win a prize pack and a chance to visit the White House! Click the Summer Reading Challenge logo to be sent directly to the White House's page on this challenge.
Barnes & Noble is hosting their summer reading challenge bracket, and after reading 8 books, win a free one! Click the logo above to be sent to the printable bracket!