If you blinked and missed most of summer break (same, girl, same), here’s your last chance to squeeze in one more win before backpacks and bus schedules take over your life again. The Elkhart Public Library’s Summer Reading Challenge is wrapping up, and it’s ending with a party — and we’ll be parked right outside it with the Froggy Padio.
The Prize Party is Thursday, July 23
Mark it, set a reminder, tattoo it on your forearm — whatever it takes. From 3 to 6 p.m. on July 23, head to Lifeline Hub and Premier Arts campus in Elkhart for the big finale of the Summer Reading Challenge, and swing by and say hi to us while you’re there — the Froggy Padio, sponsored by Monteith’s Best-One Tire & Auto Care, will be rolling in for the celebration.
So what actually is this challenge?
This year, the library’s signature summer program is open to everyone — not just the kids. You and your little readers can earn prize entries together, which honestly might be the easiest bonding activity you do all summer (no minivan required).
Here’s the gist:
- Reading counts, not streaks. You don’t have to read every single day in a row — just log your total days.
- Milestone days = prize tickets. Hit 21, 42, and 60 days of reading to earn entries into drawings.
- Track it your way, either through the Beanstack app or a good old-fashioned paper gameboard.
What can you actually win?
For the kids, there’s a grand prize trip package to the Indiana Dinosaur Museum for up to four people, complete with a hotel stay and meals — but heads up, book reviews for that one were due July 20, so that entry window has closed.
The other prizes are still very much in play for anyone who’s been logging reading days, including:
- A $100 Barnes & Noble gift card
- Elkhart County 4-H Fair admission and wristbands
- A LEGO Robot Roller Coaster
- A bean bag chair
- A ball pit and crawl tunnel
- National Geographic science kits
- A dollhouse
And it’s not just the kids getting spoiled. Grown-ups 18 and up can join in too, earning entries toward $100 gift card drawings, plus a free EPL tote bag for anyone who logs a full 60 days. Reward partners this summer include local favorites like Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, Biggby Coffee, Wendy’s, and a bunch of other spots your family will recognize.
Why bother? (Besides the free stuff)
Because the summer slide is real, and just three weeks of casual reading can help keep those school-year skills from going rusty. Last year, 60% of participating readers logged six weeks of reading — and walked into the new school year ready to go.
Huge thanks to Ranger Distribution Inc., now in its fifth year sponsoring this challenge alongside Froggy 102.7, for making this whole thing possible.
Are you and your kids in the middle of the Summer Reading Challenge? Tell us on Facebook or Instagram — how many days have you logged, and what’s on your family’s summer reading list?
