Great River Regional Library (GRRL) kicked off its annual Summer Reading Challenge on Monday, June 8th, and continues through Saturday, August 8th. Registration began on June 8th in the Beanstack app, on griver.beanstack.org, or at your local library during open hours. In the challenge, participants track their reading in the Beanstack app or on paper slips, which they return to their library to be eligible for prize drawings. In addition, each branch offers a unique assortment of prizes!
In 2025, across 32 branch locations, we had a record-breaking 14,041 babies, children, and teens participate! We anticipate another exciting summer with families in our communities. This year’s theme, “Plant a Seed, Read,” shares both food and stories that connect us to our family, culture, economy, and ecology. A library grows ideas that nourish our minds! The challenge is open to all kids ages 0 to 18 and divided by age: early learners (ages 0 to 3), kids (ages 4 to grade 6), and teens (grades 6 to 12).
The mission of our reading challenge is simple: Encourage children and teens to read throughout the summer! Summer reading isn’t just fun; it’s extremely beneficial. Regular reading goes a long way toward combating the “summer slide,” a term that describes the loss of academic skills during the summer break. Students who join public library summer reading programs scored higher on reading achievement tests at the beginning of the next school year than those who did not participate – in some cases, significantly higher.
This reading challenge would not be possible without our generous sponsors. We are grateful for their support, which helps us bring the joy of reading to young people in our communities. Thank you to the following for sponsoring the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge:
• American Legion #560
• Belgrade Steel Tank Co.
• Blattner Company
• Blaze Credit Union
• Central MN Noon Optimist Club
• Elevate Dance Center
• Evenson Decker, P.A.
• Fuzzy Loon Designs
• Garage Door Store
• Grey Eagle – Burtrum Lions Club
• Infinite Eye Care
• Kiwanis Club of St. Cloud
• Minnesota National Bank
• Moose Lodge #1400
• Schlenner Wenner & Co.
• St. Cloud Industrial Products Inc. (SCIPI)
• Sertoma Club of St. Cloud
• St. Cloud Friends of the Library
• Stearns Electric
• STMA Women of Today
• And anonymous donors
Visit your local library to discover how your children can participate this summer. Check your library’s hours at griver.org/locations and find more details on the library’s website at griver.org/summer-reading-challenge.
Great River Regional Library (GRRL) provides library services at 32 public libraries and one to-go system in Benton, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, and Wright Counties. GRRL2GO is a locker system that allows you to pick up items at the Sartell Community Center. GRRL supplies the residents of Central Minnesota with nearly 1 million books, CDs, and DVDs, 250 public computers, programming, and information services.
