Reading Challenges 

Past Reading Challenges:

Register for the Hispanic Heritage Month Reading Challenge Opens in new window


National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15. This year, the theme was “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.” Honor diverse voices, unique perspectives, and rich cultural traditions through reading. Log your reading for Hispanic history makers, Hispanic authors, or explore Hispanic cultural traditions and earn badges throughout the challenge. Complete the challenge and get a completion prize! Simply stop by any Newport News Public Library Branch between Oct. 20 - Oct. 31 and provide the library staff with the winning phrase given in Beanstack to receive a completion prize. 

Banned Books Reading Challenge Opens in new window


Reading is empowering! Learn about new perspectives and celebrate the freedom to read with books that have been challenged or banned throughout the years. We are calling all adults to log their reading of banned books to earn badges throughout the challenge. The challenge will officially begin on September 1, 2022 and end on September 30, 2022. Participants who complete 600 minutes of reading and one book from the reading list provided on Beanstack will receive a completion prize by visiting the Virgil I. Grissom, Main Street, or Pearl Bailey branch. All participants that complete the challenge will be given a secret phrase to tell library staff from Beanstack. Completion prizes may be picked from Oct. 3 – Oct. 17, 2022.


Thank you for Reading Over Three Million Minutes in Our 2022 Summer Reading Challenge!

We are so grateful to all of our readers who participated in this year's Summer Reading Challenge. We exceeded last year's total on July 19, and everyone kept on reading until the last minute on July 31 when we posted a final total of over three million reading minutes!

This year through outreach, over 2,000 young readers from the Newport News Public Schools SPARK program joined the challenge, as well as participants from Newport News Parks & Recreation Youth programs, the C. Waldo Scott Center, and area preschools.

Register for the Snuggle-Time Reading Challenge Opens in new window

A big thank you to all of our Snuggle time Reading Challenge participants.  You read a total of 1,160 books.  That’s a lot of snuggles! Congratulations to the readers and congratulations to the listeners! If you logged and completed reading 15 books, please pick up your Keepsake Calendar and stickers and your book to keep. Completion prizes may be picked up from the Grissom, Main Street and Pearl Bailey Library any time they are open from March 1st to March 14th. Yay for you!

Register for the Black History Month Reading Challenge Opens in new window

Thank you to all who participated in our Black History Reading Challenge. February has been a month of recognizing and celebrating achievement. We want to recognize those who achieved the completion of our Black History Reading Challenge. Thanks to your participation, 21,066 minutes were read! Congratulations to our finishers.  You may pick up you completion prize from Grissom, Main Street, or Pear Bailey Library any time they are open from March 1st to March 14th. Don’t forget to mention the winning phrase to the staff, and enjoy your prize!

See our Black History Month Reading Lists for Adults and Young Readers

Ongoing Reading Challenges

Sign up anytime to participate

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

Get ready to learn to love reading with the 1000 books before kindergarten challenge! Just register, log the title of each book, and come to the library along the way for special prizes. There's even a celebration when you finish!

Beanstack Mobile App

Access your Beanstack account from your mobile device to complete challenges and log your reading minutes!

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