Summer Reading Challenge

The annual Summer Reading Challenge for kids, teens, and adults will run from May 28 - July 31, 2026.

This year’s theme, "Plant a Seed, Read!" is rooted in the concept of farm-to-table. A farm grows food that nourishes our bodies; a library grows ideas that nourish our minds. 

Make reading a daily habit this summer by recording the days you read during our challenge. Between May 28 - July 31, all ages are encouraged to record at least 15 days of reading to earn mid-point prizes. Everyone that continues tracking to reach 30 days will complete the challenge and earn more prizes! 

Join us for stories, songs, and family FUN in a different Urbandale Park every week!

The Urbandale Public Library and Parks and Rec Department have partnered together to bring you Storytime in the Parks every Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM and Thursday evening at 6:30 PM at different Urbandale Parks each week from June 9 - August 6. (No Storytime on Thursday, July 2.) Grab one of our Parks Passports available at the library, or print the PDF below and see how many parks in Urbandale you can visit! (Target age: 2-6, siblings welcome)

• Parks Passport 2026.pdf

Storytime in the Parks Calendar

Contact jstolz@urbandale.org for youth and sstanton@urbandale.org for adult questions. We'll get back to you as soon as possible! 

Step 1

• Online: Beanstack can be used on a browser or through their app. Register at urbandalelibrary.beanstack.org to create your account. You do not need to create a new account if you already have one from our previous summer, winter, or spring reading programs. (Can’t remember your Beanstack password? Click here. Not sure of your Beanstack username? Click here.)
• Paper: If you would prefer to fill out a paper log, you can pick one up from the library or download/ print the PDF linked below.
  • 2026 Summer Reading Challenge Paper Log.pdf

Step 2

Track every day you read between May 28 - July 31. How long you read each day is up to you. (Read 10 minutes or 2 hours, the choice is yours!) You can read whatever you'd like. Books, e-books, magazines, and comic books all count - and so does listening to an audiobook or being read to.

Step 3

Earn prizes! Youth (0-17) earn a free book and an entry in the grand prize drawings at 15 and 30 days of reading, and up to six mini-badges. Adults (18+) earn a Book Sale Voucher and an entry in the grand prize drawings at 15 and 30 days of reading.

Earn Mini-Badges!

Youth (ages 0-17) can earn mini-badge buttons each time you log 5 days of reading! (Choose either a pin or a magnet for each mini-badge.) Because we are challenging you to read for at least 30 days this summer, you can collect up to 6 badges. Please note that the first day to collect badges will be June 11.

Mid-point Prizes (Congrats you tracked 15 days of reading!)

Starting June 11, mid-point prizes and mini-badges will be available to pick up.

• Youth (ages 0-17) go to the Youth Area and fill out a small form (this will be your first entry for grand prizes). Then select a free book as your mid-point prize.
• Adults (ages 18+) go to the Front Desk and let the staff person know you are ready to pick up a Book Sale Voucher as your mid-point prize. Adults also earn an entry in the grand prize drawings. (Those who use Beanstack can redeem their entry/ ticket through the app. Those who use a paper log will need to go to the Front Desk and fill out a small form- this will be your first entry for grand prizes.)

Completion Prizes (Congrats you completed the challenge and tracked 30 days of reading!)

June 26 is the first day the Summer Reading Challenge can be completed.

• Youth (ages 0-17) go to the Youth Area and fill out a small form (this will be your second entry for grand prizes). Then select a free book as your completion prize.
• Adults (ages 18+) go to the Front Desk and let the staff person know you are ready to pick up a Book Sale Voucher as your completion prize. Adults also earn an entry in the grand prize drawings. (Those who use Beanstack can redeem their entry/ ticket through the app. Those who use a paper log will need to go to the Front Desk and fill out a small form- this will be your second entry for grand prizes.)

Adults that use Beanstack can complete Activity Badges to earn extra grand prize ticket entries!

Complete optional activity badges to earn up to 4 more tickets to put toward any of the grand prize drawings of your choosing. Tickets are redeemed through Beanstack. Unsure how to redeem tickets? Click here to learn more.

The Summer Reading Challenge officially ends on July 31 and adults that use Beanstack must redeem their tickets by that time as the challenge will close and will not allow late submissions. A short grace period will be given to youth (0-17) that used Beanstack or paper logs and adults (18+) that used paper logs to come into the library to fill out their grand prize entry forms by August 9. The final day all prizes will be available for pickup is August 31. 

Youth (Ages 0-17) Summer Reading Grand Prizes

All participants ages 0-17 can earn up to 2 entries into the grand prize drawing(s) of their choosing for reading 15 and 30 days:

• Barnes & Noble $100 Gift Card
• Blank Park Zoo 1-Year Family Plus Membership ($140+ value)
• Get Air Trampoline Park $100 Gift Card
• Target $100 Gift Card
• Walmart $100 Gift Card

Adult (Ages 18+) Summer Reading Grand Prizes

All Adult participants (18+) will be able to earn up to *6 entries into the grand prize drawing(s) of their choosing:

• Barnes & Noble $100 Gift Card
• Half Price Books $100 Gift Card
• Iowa Food Co-op $100 Gift Card
• Pocket Prairies of Des Moines $100 Gift Card

*(1 entry for tracking 15 days & 1 entry for tracking 30 days. Adults that use Beanstack tracking can earn up to 4 more entries for completing optional activities.)

Adults that use Beanstack can complete Activity Badges to earn extra grand prize ticket entries!

Complete optional activity badges to earn up to 4 more tickets to put toward any of the grand prize drawings of your choosing. Tickets are redeemed through Beanstack. Unsure how to redeem tickets? Click here to learn more.