Libraries Announce Family Reading Winter Challenge  

The popularity of Fort Bend County Libraries’ Summer Reading Clubs for children, teens, and adults inspired the library system to add a similar program for families during the winter season. The Family Reading Winter Challenge will begin on Monday, January 28, and will continue for five weeks through March 2, at all branches in the Fort Bend County library system, which includes the Cinco Ranch Branch Library and the Bob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch Library.

This five-week program is designed to encourage families to read, learn, and have fun together. Families participate in the program by reading books, logging the number of minutes they read, and earning virtual badges. All Fort Bend County families are eligible to participate.

“The best way to help children learn new words and to build a larger vocabulary is to talk and read with them,” says Susan King, Coordinator of Youth Services for the library system. “Children hear more new words when you read books to them.”

Families that complete the program, by reading for five hours collectively (300 minutes total per family) over the course of the challenge period, are eligible to receive a book bag for the family, and will have their name entered into a drawing for a $50 dining gift card, donated by the Friends of the Library. The drawing for the gift card will take place on March 4, and one winning family will be selected from each branch library.

A single registration is required for each participating family. Upon registering, families will then have their own online page on which to record their reading time. An adult (parent or guardian) is asked to register the family online by going to the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us) and clicking on the “Family Reading Winter Challenge” image, which will become available January 28.

Families may also register and log reading time by downloading the free Beanstack Tracker app to their mobile device from the Apple App or Google Play stores. Fort Bend County Libraries and the Family Reading Winter Challenge will appear as options when the program starts on January 28.

Registration may also be done by visiting the Youth Services desk at any of the libraries in the Fort Bend County library system.

There is no charge to join the Family Reading Winter Challenge. The program is sponsored by Fort Bend County Libraries and the Friends of the Library organizations that support the county library system.

For more information, call the library system’s Communications Office at 281-633-4734, or the library branch nearest you.