The Westport Library is inviting the community to turn winter into a season of reading, connection and creativity with the return of its Children’s Winter Reading Program and Adult Winter Reading Challenge, running from December through February.
The Children’s Winter Reading Program runs from Dec. 19 through Feb. 23 and is open to all children and families. The program emphasizes that reading takes many forms, whether children are reading independently, being read to by caregivers, or listening to stories aloud.
Reading is tracked by minutes, allowing children to log time spent with books, graphic novels, comics, magazines and other materials, as well as time spent listening to stories. After registering online, participants may visit the library to receive an activity sheet and nine color-coded stickers.
Completing 10 activities earns children a book from the library’s prize cart. Additional reading milestones unlock more stickers that contribute to a collaborative community art display at the library. Children who reach 500 minutes of reading may select an additional book to take home.
The Adult Winter Reading Challenge runs from Dec. 22 through Feb. 2 and welcomes readers of all experience levels. Following a successful inaugural season last winter, the library’s reference team has curated 10 reading categories designed to encourage exploration across genres and formats. The categories will be revealed when the challenge begins Dec. 22.
Participants may complete as many categories as they choose, with each book counting toward a single category. Readers can log their progress online and track results on a shared leaderboard.
Last winter, 44 participants collectively read 272 books, with nearly one-third completing all 10 categories. Community engagement continues through the Westport Reading Challenge Facebook group, where participants exchange recommendations and celebrate milestones.
The Adult Winter Reading Challenge also coincides with WestportREADS 2026, the library’s annual community-wide reading initiative running from January through March. Library staff have hinted that WestportREADS will factor into one of this year’s challenge categories.
Library officials say the winter reading programs aim to strengthen literacy skills, encourage curiosity and reinforce reading as both a personal pleasure and a shared community experience.
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