Library Lady’s K-12 Edition is a mostly weekly newsletter for K-12 school librarians. Today’s topic is — Fall Into Reading
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Tips from Library Lady
Fall Into Reading: Easy October Reading Promotions
October is a great time to give reading a little extra attention. Students are settled into the school year, fall provides plenty of fun themes, and you don’t need a complicated month-long program to get students talking about books.
This week, let’s look at a few easy ways to encourage students to Fall Into Reading.
🍂 Fall Reading Bingo
Create a simple bingo card with reading challenges such as:
- Read a book with an orange cover.
- Read outside.
- Try a book from a genre you don’t usually read.
- Read a nonfiction book.
- Read a book recommended by a friend.
- Read for 20 minutes.
- Read a book that’s been on your TBR list.
- Ask a librarian to choose a book for you.
For younger students, use pictures and simpler challenges. For secondary students, make the categories more adventurous—try a classic, read a memoir, choose a book published before you were born, or explore a new section of the library.
A completed row could earn a bookmark, small prize, library privilege, or simply an entry in a drawing.
🍎 Apple vs. Pumpkin Reading Challenge
Here’s an easy competition that doesn’t require tracking how many books individual students read.
When students finish a book, they vote: Team Apple 🍎 or Team Pumpkin 🎃?
Place two containers in the library and let students drop in a token, pom-pom, paper leaf, or slip of paper every time they finish a book.
At the end of October, announce the winning team.
It really doesn’t matter what apples and pumpkins have to do with reading—which may be part of the fun!
📚 Battle of the Books—October Edition
Choose 8 or 16 popular books and create a tournament bracket.
Students vote for their favorites each week until one book becomes your library’s October Book Champion.
For secondary students, try competing genres instead:
Mystery vs. Fantasy
Historical Fiction vs. Science Fiction
Graphic Novels vs. Novels in Verse
The goal isn’t necessarily to determine the “best” book. It’s to get students looking at titles and talking about what they enjoy reading.
🍁 Grade vs. Grade Reading Challenge
If your school enjoys friendly competition, challenge grades or classes to meet a shared reading goal.
But instead of simply counting books—which favors strong and fast readers—consider counting reading participation.
Students might earn a point for:
- Checking out a book.
- Trying a new genre.
- Submitting a book recommendation.
- Participating in a library activity.
- Reading independently for a designated period.
This gives many more students an opportunity to contribute.
📖 Mystery Reader Challenge
Wrap several books in brown paper and write just a few clues on the outside:
Funny + Friendship + School
Fantasy + Dragons + Adventure
Mystery + Historical + Secrets
Students choose a book based on the clues, not the cover.
For older students, add: If you liked ______, try me.
It’s an easy way to encourage students to take a chance on books they might normally overlook.
⭐ Beat the Librarian
This could be especially fun if you’re willing to play along.
Choose a goal for October: Can the students read more books than the librarian?
Or make it: Students vs. Teachers
Keep a running total somewhere visible in the library.
You can also make the challenge about minutes read rather than books finished so students reading longer books aren’t at a disadvantage.
Keep It Easy
An October reading promotion doesn’t need prizes, elaborate tracking systems, or hours of preparation.
Sometimes all you need is a simple challenge and a little friendly competition to get students saying: “What are you reading?”
And once students start talking to each other about books, you’ve already accomplished something worthwhile.
Resource of the Week
This week’s Library Lady post has even more ideas for bringing a little fall into your library:
Fall Into Reading: Easy October Reading Bulletin Boards
You’ll find 10 simple bulletin board and library display ideas, including Fall Into Reading, Leaf Through a Good Book, A Bushel of Great Books, Falling for Books, and Pick of the Patch.
READ: FALL INTO READING — EASY OCTOBER READING BULLETIN BOARDS
Until next time,
September Celebrations
September 11 books for kids and teens
Tomie dePaolo
Constitution Day & Citizenship Day Books for K–12 Students
Talk Like a Pirate Day Books for K–12 Libraries
This coming week, look for these posts
Fall Into Reading: Easy October Reading Promotions
| Need to raise funds for your library? Here are some posts on my blog that describe my fundraising camps. |
September Birthdays
Other Recent Blog Posts
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What happens in October – a roundup post of Library Lady posts about October happenings
Recent Adult Book Reviews
Adult Review – Delaware Keepers – non-fiction
Recent YA Book Reviews
YA Review – For This Very Purpose – young adult Biblical Fiction
Recent MS Book Reviews
MS Review – Nora T and the Champion Tree – middle school realistic fiction
Recent Kid Book Reviews
Kid Review – Miya’s Mooncakes – picture book
Items in my Shop
Cute animals with books – stickers, shirts and more in my Redbubble Shop
What I’m Checking Out
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Some things that might interest you
📚 Tools for School Librarians 📚
As librarians, we’re always looking for creative ways to engage students and enhance programming. These tools are easy to use. Explore them today and see how they might fit into your toolkit.
Have you ever considered starting your own website but weren’t sure how? My friend Lori has a great course called Build a Profit Ready Website. I took the course and found it very helpful.
Authors and librarians, would you like to be featured on this blog?
I’d like to add a couple of features to my blog in the coming months and would appreciate your help. I am looking for school librarians interested in being interviewed on the blog. I am also looking for librarians and children’s or young adult authors to do guest posts on the blog. Click on the links below to fill out a survey.
How can I help? Drop a note in the comments or email me. I’d love to help.
See you next week.
Jane (Library Lady)
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Parts of this email were written with help from AI.
