Winter Reading Challenges Start at Area Public Library
Winter Reading Challenges Start at Area Public Library
The perennially popular reading challenges are now underway at the Grant County Public Library (GCPL), according to Tammy Wollschlager, library director.
The challenges started Monday, October 5, and continue through March 31. “Cold weather in South Dakota is unavoidable, and our Hot Reads for Cold Nights winter reading program helps readers make a selection for hot reads to pass the cold nights,” Wollschlager explained.
The reading challenge is for various reading levels and offers lists of great reading suggestions for books in five different reading levels, from picture books to adult. They include a wide range of topics and styles and encourage readers to be adventurous. The library staff invites the public to try something they may not normally read.
The books on the lists are displayed in the library. Each book comes with a book mark ballot for the reader to give a star-rating vote on the book. The bookmark ballot is returned with the book and used to determine a Grant County Public Library book of the year at the conclusion of the program in each division.
A winners’ names will be drawn from the returned bookmark ballots at the conclusion of the program. A winner in each division will be awarded a cash card.
The list of 40 books for the adults was selected from the most often checked out books since January of 2025. Avid readers can make sure they didn’t miss a great read, and novice readers will be led to titles already proven to be popular by local readers, Wollschlager said. An additional award will be given to the reader who reads the most books from the adult list.
In the youth divisions, books have been selected by library staff and divided into the categories of picture books, easy read books, juvenile and young adult. The books are located in their respective sections of the library on a special display. Readers choose books from the category that best fits their reading level.
In addition to being available at the library, many of the titles from the Hot Reads for Cold Nights book lists are available digitally and offered free with a library card and the Libby App for device reading or listening. All Grant County Public Library card accounts can be managed from home via internet connection, including reserving materials and renewing materials.
Winning books in each division as well and prize winners will be announced in April.
For more information, stop in or call the library at 605-432-6543.
