Submitted Photo A child looks over the book selection in the Minot Public Library’s children’s library.

While chillier weather rolls in, the Minot Public Library is bringing the community a cozy reading challenge. The Sweater Weather Reading Challenge asks you to read outside the box, by giving you a different category to read each month. Readers only need to read one book a month to be entered for some great prizes.

Adult Services Librarian, Zhaina Moya, says “we want our patrons to try new books and see if they can discover great reads they may not have otherwise read.”

The Sweater Weather Reading Challenge is available to all ages. Age groups include: children’s “read to me” readers, children’s “read to myself” readers, teen readers, and adult readers. There will be prizes in each age category given once a month between October 2021 and March 2022. Monthly prizes include $25 gift cards for various local businesses, including: Main Street Books, Nature’s Nook, Roosevelt Zoo, Daily Buzz, The Putt District, Prairie Sky Breads, and more. Grand prizes will be chosen by a random drawing at the end of the reading challenge in March. The four grand prize winners will be drawn from readers who finish at least 3 months during the 6-month period. The grand prizes are $100 gift cards to Target.

The monthly reading challenge categories include: October — As Streamed on TV; November — SciFi & Fantasy; December — Music; January — Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, and Mythology; February — History; and March — Staff Picks.

“I’m glad to be able to offer this opportunity for book lovers in our area,” Library Director Janet Anderson said. “I’m especially excited to showcase the library’s collection of great books whether it’s our print books, audiobooks, or the many downloadable titles available.”

Anderson said that staff have compiled a list of recommendations for each monthly category, but that staff are also able to provide more recommendations.

The Sweater Weather Reading Challenge is available through the Minot Public Library’s Beanstack app available to download for free to mobile devices. Patrons can download the app or visit the website https://minotnd.beanstack.org/reader365 to register for the challenge. The book recommendations for each month for each age group are listed on the Beanstack app and families can track multiple household members at the same time. For more information, please contact the library at (701) 852-1045.

The Minot Public Library is able to offer this reading challenge thanks to funds donated by the Friends of the Minot Public Library. The mission of the Friends of the Minot Public Library is to “maintain an association of persons interested in the library, to focus public attention on the library, to stimulate use of the library’s resources, to encourage gifts, endowments and bequests to the library and to support the freedom to read.” The Friends of the Library not only made it possible for the library to subscribe to the Beanstack program, but also donated funds for all of the prizes.

Anyone is welcome to join the Friends of the Minot Public Library; memberships start as low as $10 and anyone who joins before the end of 2021 will be a member through December 2022. The Friends of the Library sponsor various activities to support MPL including used book sales, funding Library programs, volunteering for Library activities, and purchasing needed items for the library. For information about joining the Friends of the Library, please call (701) 852-1045, check out our website www.minotlibrary.org, pick up a brochure at the library, or attend their annual meeting on Friday, November 12th at noon.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Friends for helping make this reading program, and so much more, possible,” Teen Librarian Pam Carswell said.