Read Across America Reading Challenge

Join us in celebrating America's 250th birthday by reading across the country!

2026 marks the United States of America's 250th year of independence, and we'll be recognizing this all year through various activities and programs. And while it would be amazing to take an actual road trip across the country, we're doing the next best thing by traveling via books!

In the next year, you'll venture across this beautiful nation by reading books set in all the states. We've broken the country up into 6 regions, taking 2 months to travel through each one.  We've compiled booklists of each region to help you out, but you're more than welcome to find your own selections.

Northeast (Jan & Feb)
Midwest (Mar & Apr)
West
Pacific Coast
Southwest
South

You can choose 1 of 2 modes of travel: 

-Sunday Driving: a slower pace by reading 1 book for each region within the 2-month time frame
-Whirlwind Trip: see it all by reading 2 or more books per region within the 2-month time frame

Keep track of your travels online with our Google form linked here, or on paper by picking up a tracking bookmark in the library. Keep reading below for details on the Google form.

At the end of each 2-month period, participants who log a book read for that region will be entered to win a small prize!  All participants who complete the challenge will be entered to win a grand prize!

Keep an eye on our Facebook page, as well, for fun, regional facts and mini-challenges to celebrate our unique and diverse country all year long!

We can't wait to travel with you!

How the Google Form works

The link above will open a new window to the Google Form to log your books read.

The first section will ask for your email address, name, library card number, and a contact phone number (to get in touch with you if you win a prize).  The email address is required so a copy of your responses can be sent to you, as well as allowing you to be able to edit the form.

You will need to edit the form in order to continue logging the books you read throughout the year, so make sure you keep your response emails.  There will be a link in the email to click to edit the form, which will allow you to get back into it and log the additional regions. It will save your previous responses.

If the Google Form seems overwhelming, we do have bookmark trackers you can fill out. However, in order to be entered in the bimonthly drawings, you will need to bring in your bookmark to show us you completed the current region.