Kansas 250 Reading Challenge
Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary through the stories that shape Kansas and our nation.
In conjunction with America 250, Manhattan Public Library invites readers of all ages to take part in the Kansas 250 Reading Challenge, inspired by the Kansas 250 Bookshelf from the State Library of Kansas. This year-long reading challenge highlights books connected to Kansas history, culture, communities, and voices—showing how local stories connect to the broader American story.
How the Challenge Works
The Kansas 250 Reading Challenge runs throughout 2026, but participants are welcome to join at any point during the year. Each month features a reading theme inspired by the Kansas 250 Bookshelf from the State Library of Kansas. Readers complete the challenge by finishing all twelve monthly themes.
Along the way, readers can also earn optional themed milestones that encourage exploring Kansas stories in different ways. These milestones are bonus challenges and are not required to complete the overall challenge.
Getting Started
- Sign up on Beanstack (online or through the app)
- Choose a book that fits the current month’s theme
- Read at your own pace
- Log your reading and earn badges along the way
👉 Prefer paper? Physical reading logs are coming soon.
👉 Manhattan Public Library Curated Book Lists Coming Soon!
👉 Kansas 250 Bookshelf Book List
Frequently Asked Questions
Everyone! The Kansas 250 Reading Challenge is open to children, teens, and adults.
No. You can join the challenge at any time during the year and participate at your own pace.
One book per month is all that is needed to complete the challenge, but we welcome you to read as many as you like. Completing all the monthly prompts completes the challenge, but partial participation is always encouraged.
No. There are no prizes associated with this challenge. Participants earn badges and milestones to track progress and celebrate their reading.
No. Each month, Manhattan Public Library has created a book list that explores the theme provided by the State Library of Kansas’s Kansas 250 Bookshelf. These titles have been included, but we’ve expanded our book lists to allow for a wide variety of titles.
In Beanstack, each month includes a link to the corresponding book list, but participants may choose any book that fits the theme. The goal is to encourage choice and exploration—not to require a specific title.
Any format counts—print books, ebooks, and audiobooks—as long as the book fits the theme. Books for children, teens, and adults all qualify, and many books may count for more than one milestone.
Themed milestones are optional bonus challenges that encourage readers to explore Kansas stories in different ways (such as reading Kansas authors, notable books, or children’s/YA titles). These milestones are not required to complete the challenge.
Yes! A single book may count toward both a monthly reading theme and a themed milestone, as long as it meets the criteria for each. Monthly reading themes and themed milestones appear as separate activities in Beanstack. To receive credit for both, you’ll need to log the book under each applicable activity. The same book may be entered more than once if it fits multiple categories.
Reading is logged primarily through Beanstack. When logging a month, patrons are asked to enter the title of the book they read. If you prefer not to list a specific title, you may enter “N/A” to continue. A physical reading log will be available soon for patrons who prefer a paper option.
library.ks.gov/ks250
