News Release
Great River Regional Library
GRRL Headquarters:
1300 W. St. Germain St.
St. Cloud, MN 56301
320-650-2500
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Breanne Fruth, Communications and Development Coordinator
320-650-2532
Subject: Great River Regional Library Kicks Off 2025 Summer Reading Challenge
Get ready to Level Up at Your Library this summer! Whether kids are playing with STEM concepts, gamifying their reading logs, learning to play chess or coding video games, the Summer Reading Challenge reminds us that libraries are not just spaces for knowledge; they are places for fun!
Great River Regional Library (GRRL) will kick off the annual Summer Reading Challenge (SRC) on Monday, June 9, and continue through Saturday, August 9. Registration begins on Monday, June 9, in the Beanstack app, on griver.beanstack.org, or by visiting your local library during open hours. Participants track their reading in the Beanstack app or using paper slips that they return to their library. Participants are eligible for prize drawings at the end of the challenge. In addition, each branch offers a unique assortment of prizes!
In 2024, across 32 branch locations, we had a record-breaking 13,414 babies, children, and teens participate! We anticipate another exciting summer with families in our communities. This year’s theme, “Level Up at Your Library” is based on puzzles and games, encouraging kids to play, think in new ways, and foster friendships. The challenge is open to all kids ages 0 to 18 and divided by age: pre-readers (ages 0 to 3), kids (ages 3 to 12), and teens (ages 13 to 18).
The mission of our reading challenge is simple: Encourage children and teens to read throughout the summer! Summer reading isn’t just fun; it’s extremely beneficial. Regular reading goes far in combating the “summer slide,” a term that describes the loss of academic skills during the summer break. Students who join public library summer reading programs scored higher on reading achievement tests at the beginning of the next school year than those who did not participate – in some cases, significantly higher.
This reading challenge would not be possible without our generous sponsors. We are grateful for their support, which helps us bring the joy of reading to young people in our communities.
Thank you to the following for sponsoring the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge:
· American Legion Post #560
· Belgrade Steel Tank Co.
· Centra Sota Cooperative
· Central MN Noon Optimist Club
· Evenson Decker P.A.
· Farmers & Merchants State Bank
· St. Cloud Friends of the Library
· Hanover Lions
· Land O’Lakes Foundation
· Liberty Paper
· Lincoln Area Business Association
· Lions Club of Motley
· Moose Lodge St. Cloud #1400
· Schlenner Wenner & Co.
· St. Cloud Area Sertoma Club
· St. Cloud Family Dental
· St. Cloud Industrial Products
· STMA Women of Today
· Sytek
· Garage Door Store
Visit your local library to discover how your children can participate this summer. Check your library’s hours at griver.org/locations and find more details on the library's website at griver.org/summer-reading-challenge.
Great River Regional Library (GRRL) provides library services at 32 public libraries and one to-go system in Benton, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, and Wright Counties. GRRL2GO is a locker system that allows you to pick up items at the Sartell Community Center. GRRL supplies the residents of Central Minnesota with nearly 1 million books, CDs, and DVDs, 250 public computers, programming, and information services.
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