The County Library discussion
Reading Challenges
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2021 Summer Reading Challenge
Do the animals have to be real animals for can they be fantasy animals like unicorns or dragons?
Hooray! I have a bunch of books of this type to read!
Linda wrote: "Do the animals have to be real animals for can they be fantasy animals like unicorns or dragons?"I think you're good to go with imaginary animals, if you like.
By the way, you have my mom's name and my sister's profile pic. You're really throwing me off!
Ok, I've compiled my list. As per my usual, choosing is my kryptonite. So, I've divided it into fiction and nonfiction. Things keep changing, so I'm far past 5 books on the list now!Fiction
Complete - 6/3 - The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco
Complete - 6/4 - Watchers by Dean Koontz
Complete - 6/5 - Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Complete - 6/5 - The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Complete - 6/7 - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Complete - 6/23 - The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
Complete - 6/29 - The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
Complete - 6/30 - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Complete - 7/1 - Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Complete - 7/6 - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
Complete - 7/8 - The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
Complete - 7/12 -The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
Non-fiction
Complete - 6/1 - Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron
Complete - 6/2 - The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
Complete - 6/6 - The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton
Complete - 6/16 - Cry of the Kalahari by Mark and Delia Owens
Complete - 6/23 - The Soul of an Octapus by Sy Montgomery
Complete - 6/28 - Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
I have made my selection, as usual, with children's books, mostly non-fiction. The last title in each group is a nod of thanks for Linda's question with one real and the other imaginary. Multiple species:
✅ 1 A Curious Collection of Peculiar Creatures: An Illustrated Encyclopedia by Sami Bayly
✅ 2 Hummingbirds by Kristin Petrie
3 Living Fossils: Survivors from Earth's Distant Past by Rebecca E. Hirsch
✅ 4 Real Dragons by Jennifer Szymanski
Single species:
✅ 1 Narwhal by Katie Marsico
✅ 2 Cougars by Arnold Ringstad
✅ 3 Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks by Kenneth Mallory
✅ 4 Goodnight Mermaid by Karla Oceanak
Elizabeth wrote: "This year, you can either pick up a physical paper to mark off at your local library, or participate online."How does one participate online?
Debbie wrote: "I have made my selection, as usual, with children's books, mostly non-fiction. "Out of curiosity, why do you choose children's books, Debbie?
Greg wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "This year, you can either pick up a physical paper to mark off at your local library, or participate online."How does one participate online?"
There's a link on the library website. I think it's through Bean Stack like the February winter reading thing they did was. (That's a really poorly written sentence...)
With three animal-obsessed girls that I read with nightly I have a feeling this will be a breeze, lol.I highly recommend, if people are looking for ideas:
Scary Stories for Young Foxes
Upside Down Magic
Katie the Catsitter
Science Comics (JGN- there are multiple animal volumes)
Books by Farley Mowat! So far I've read Never Cry Wolf (adult memoir- apparently the truthfulness is up for debate, but it's entertaining) and Owls in the Family (for kids, based on his childhood I think)
Anything by James Heriot
I'd also point out that many cozies feature animal friends.... I should know, I've been reading enough of them lately, lol.
Mod
It is time for our longer challenge. You have three months, June 1-August 31, to read five books that relate to our Summer Reading Theme: Tails and Tales. That means animals. It’s all a..."
All animals are fine. Real or make believe.
Mod
How does one participate online?"
If you go to thecountylibrary.org/summer, then under "How to Participate", click on "Digital Reading Record." This will take you to Beanstack, where you can create an account and join the challenge. You have to mark off items online, and once you've marked off all 30, head to your closest library branch, and let them know you did it on Beanstack, and they'll let you pick out your finisher prize.
If you did the Winter Reading Challenge, you'll already have a Beanstack account, and you'll just need to log in, and add the challenge, and you'll be good to go!
Mod
YES! To Scary Stories for Young Foxes. There's a sequel that comes out in August. It's called Scary Stories for Young Foxes: The City.
Greg wrote: "Debbie wrote: "I have made my selection, as usual, with children's books, mostly non-fiction. "Out of curiosity, why do you choose children's books, Debbie?"
Because the other books I read rarely match the topic of the goal and are pretty heavy duty and long. I don't want to stop reading them to join the challenge but the brief respite offered with children's books quite fit the bill. For example, right now I'm reading:
- A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (physics, short but complex)
- Sontag: Her Life and Work by Benjamin Moser (last year's Biography Pulitzer)
- The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart (part off a quartet)
- A Passage to India by E.M. Forster (not as classic as Jane Eyre, but classic)
- And the second LBJ biography volume Means of Ascent by Robert A. Caro
Shortly, my non-fiction Pulitzer Group will be starting Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King
BUT, mostly because I LOVE THEM!
What's that? Did I just hear someone cheer? (grinnn)Oh, and why do I read so many at one time, first because I'm easily bored and second, because there's no hope for the hopeless. (a joke, son)
I will read a children's book because if it gets to be the end of the challenge and I still haven't read a book that counts, they are fast and fun.
Elizabeth wrote: "Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Scary Stories for Young Foxes"YES! To Scary Stories for Young Foxes. There's a sequel that comes out in August. It's called Scary Stories for Young Foxes: The City."
I love Scary Stories for Young Foxes.
Britt, Book Habitue, Elizabeth wrote: Thanks to those who pointed me in the right direction.
Unfortunately, I didn't hear about the Winter challenge! Oh well, I'll kill the summer one.
I needed a reset, so I picked up some kid lit for my first book. I read The Deadly Dungeon, one of the "A to Z Mysteries." Lobsters and parrots appear in the story.
The House that Wasn't There has 2 kittens that feature strongly in the story.
Greg wrote: "Britt, Book Habitue, Elizabeth wrote: Thanks to those who pointed me in the right direction.
Unfortunately, I didn't hear about the Winter challenge! Oh well, I'll kill the summer one."
The Winter challenge was COVID. Getting by reading as best you can. For somes of us, it was a real challenge.
Hey!Why did the reading logging process change?
I can't log my reading, which means I can't participate in the summer reading challenge.
Mod
Mod
Part two is an extension activity Bingo sheet. There are very specific activities you must do to mark off the squares in the BINGO, or the Badges online. Examples include read a non-fiction book, learn three facts and share them, and write a short tale. For each Bingo you earn you get an additional entry into a prize drawing, and if you get a black out, you get an additional book. If you're using the online app for this, these are the sections that have land animal icons.
I'm not sure if this was the exact issue you were running into, so let me know if it answered your question.
Hopefully this was useful.
Elizabeth wrote: ""Okay, for Summer Reading there is two parts..."
Elizabeth,
I've been inputting my reading on Beanstack, and it was tracking books and time read and streaks, all that stuff. But the page for logging all of those things went away. I've still been recording "activities", which is still working.
First book complete: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There are lots of animals in it. My five year old and I have now completed the series together in less than a year and before he starts kindergarten.
Mod
Okay, so the Summer Reading program should be under Challenges. You have to join the challenge. Our program isn't the tracking books or time read or streaks. Although, if you've joined the challenge, The Badges are listed under the "Complete an Activity" section. I think you may have been starting by clicking on the "Log Reading and Activities" Button. Since we're new to using Beanstack, I'm not sure what they had available before in that area. So, I'm not sure how it has changed. Sorry that I can't be more useful. Next week, I'll reach out to the person who runs Beanstack for our system to see if they know what happened. Thank you for your patience.
So far I've read:1 The House that Wasn't There (kittens and feline teleportation)
2 Murder Buys a T Shirt (a parrot who wants coffee and is possibly possessed by the ghost of the MC's uncle)
3 Moo (a cow, a pig, a cat, and Edna the snake)
4 The Whipping Boy (a bear named Buttercup)
Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "So far I've read:1 The House that Wasn't There (kittens and feline teleportation)
2 Murder Buys a T Shirt (a parrot who wants coffee and is possibly possessed by the ghost of the MC's uncle)
3 Moo..."
OK, now I need to add some more to my own "to read sooner rather than later" list. These sound fun!
Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "So far I've read:1 The House that Wasn't There (kittens and feline teleportation)"
Britt, who wrote The House that Wasn't There? Thanks!
Third time writing this comment, kept hitting the wrong buttons on my phone so I switched to my laptop. I added Murder Buys a T Shirt to my TBR, thanks for the rec. I like paranormal cozy mysteries.
The House That Wasn't There is by Elana K Arnold. Her A Boy Called Bat would also be a great choice for this challenge.
I have read the following:The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London - The Ravenmaster's account of his job and relationship with ravens kept at the Tower of London
Ellie's Story - A dog is taught to work Search and Rescue
How the Penguins Saved Veronica - I quite enjoyed this one and do recommend it! An elderly woman in Scotland decides to visit a penguin research outpost in Antarctica.
Sharks in the Time of Saviors - A tale of Hawaiian mysticism. Many animals play key parts in the tale, but it is mostly about a family of 5.
Woof - Bowser and Birdie Series #1. Written by the author of the Chet and Bernie series, more of a YA series than adult themed books. Bowser is the narrator of this mystery.
Challenge completed July 7.
Mod
Finished book number 2 for this challenge The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. They mostly just received mentions, but the pets of various neighbors come up in the story.
Mod
I LOVE that book. It's been a while since I've read it though. If you liked this title you may enjoy When I Was Puerto Rican
Mod
Edited to update - It's July 31! The regular library summer reading program ends on the 31st. Sorry I posted the wrong date.
Doesn't it end July 31st?
Updating my list.....1 The House that Wasn't There (kittens and feline teleportation)
2 Murder Buys a T Shirt (a parrot who wants coffee and is possibly possessed by the ghost of the MC's uncle)
3 Moo (a cow, a pig, a cat, and Edna the snake)
4 The Whipping Boy (a bear named Buttercup)
5 Framed in Lace (a spoiled cat named Sophie)
6 Changeling (a mother and daughter who turn into bears)
7 Hide and Seek (mostly skunks, but kittens and strange animals as well)
8 A Stitch in Time (Sophie the cat again)
9 The Once and Future Witches (familiars in the shape of an owl, a falcon, and a crow...also snakes)
10 A Grave Matter (a cat named Earl Gray)
11 A Study in Death (Earl Gray again)
12 Night Owl! (owls, but also a kowl- kitten owl)
13 The Midsummer Tomte and the Little Rabbits (rabbits, obviously, but also a bee and a variety of other critters)
I finally got book number one for this challenge. I listened to the audiobook of The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale where the main character cares for geese, talks to horses, and learns the language of various birds.
Deborah wrote: "I finally got book number one for this challenge. I listened to the audiobook of The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale where the main character cares for geese, talks to horses, and learns t..."Ooh I loved Goose Girl. The third book in the series is my favorite though.
A hold became available in Libby, so I got my third book Mac B., Kid Spy #6. As is typical, a corgi joins the main character on his mission.
Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Doesn't it end July 31st?"This challenge on Goodreads ends at the end of August. I believe the challenge in the County library ends at the end of July, I think. They are separate challenges. Alike but separate.
My Running List1. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (Main character interacts with various birds and horses.)
2.The Legend of Luke by Brian Jacques (All characters in this book are anthropomorphic animals)
Debbie wrote: "Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Doesn't it end July 31st?"This challenge on Goodreads ends at the end of August. I believe the challenge in the County library ends at the end of July, I think. They a..."
Elizabeth's comment said it (the library summer reading program) ended July 1st, so I was looking to confirm that it went through the end of July.
The GoodReads app on my phone won't give me the "reply" option... all I can do is comment.
Updating my list.....1 The House that Wasn't There (kittens and feline teleportation)
2 Murder Buys a T Shirt (a parrot who wants coffee and is possibly possessed by the ghost of the MC's uncle)
3 Moo (a cow, a pig, a cat, and Edna the snake)
4 The Whipping Boy (a bear named Buttercup)
5 Framed in Lace (a spoiled cat named Sophie)
6 Changeling (a mother and daughter who turn into bears)
7 Hide and Seek (mostly skunks, but kittens and strange animals as well)
8 A Stitch in Time (Sophie the cat again)
9 The Once and Future Witches (familiars in the shape of an owl, a falcon, and a crow...also snakes)
10 A Grave Matter (a cat named Earl Gray)
11 A Study in Death (Earl Gray again)
12 Night Owl! (owls, but also a kowl- kitten owl)
13 The Midsummer Tomte and the Little Rabbits (rabbits, obviously, but also a bee and a variety of other critters)
14 Peter and Ernesto (sloths)
15 Rectangle Time (cat)
16 The Ghost of Marlow House (Sadie the dog)
Mod
YES! Yes it does!
Mod
This challenge on Goodreads ends at the end of August. I believe the challenge in the County library ends at the end of July, I think. They a..."
Yes, that is correct. There are two different challenges, and we support each other. The Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge is always linked to the Library Summer Reading Challenge Theme.
Mod
Library Summer Reading Challenge ends - July 31
Goodreads Summer Reading challenge ends - August 31
Also, good job with all the reading. Keep your finished books coming. Now that prize drawings are back, I'll pull a winner in the beginning of September. So, let me know when you've read for this challenge.
Good luck!
Got a fourth book read today. By chance, I found out about Grumpy Monkey Freshly Squeezed and decided to seek it out. Different format this time.
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It is time for our longer challenge. You have three months, June 1-August 31, to read five books that relate to our Summer Reading Theme: Tails and Tales. That means animals. It’s all about animals this summer. You can read a non-fiction title where you learn about animals like Wild Rituals: 10 Lessons Animals Can Teach Us About Connection, Community, and Ourselves or The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy: What Animals on Earth Reveal about Aliens – and Ourselves, or The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World. You can also read something fictional, like Scary Stories for Young Foxes or Animal Instinct or Big Little Spies. As long as it has animals in it, or is about animals it counts! Don’t forget to let me know when you have finished the Goodreads challenge.
Remember, you can also participate in The County Library’s Summer Reading Challenge, June 1-July 31. The Tails and Tales Summer Reading Challenge will keep you and your furry, fishy, and feathered friends entertained this summer as you read, create, learn, play, and connect your way to prizes and discounted activities. You can click here for details on how to participate. This year, you can either pick up a physical paper to mark off at your local library, or participate online. Remember just for signing up for the Summer Reading Challenge you can get a fine waiver, up to $5, and if you finish you earn a free book, an entry into a prize drawing and a coupon sheet for local attractions.
Ewe got this! Happy reading.