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🖍️ Library Girl Reading Challenges: April 2025

Last year, just for fun, I started creating monthly "reading challenges" that:


  • focus on authentic reasons for reading (instead of having kids log page numbers, etc), and...

  • couple reading with coloring BECAUSE both reading and coloring are proven stress relievers.


Additionally, hoped they might help teachers and librarians build even stronger reading communities.


This year, I've been reading a bit about the connection between mindfulness and coloring. Specifically, I'm interested in how coloring symmetrical and repeating patterns can help draw us into a state that is similar to meditation. With that in mind, I've decided to approach this year's coloring challenges with designs that focus on patterns - as opposed to themes.


My plan, at this point, is to create 2 different patterns for each month, to share in addition to last year's design. All three coloring sheets are free to download contain the same reading challenges. Here are April's offerings - including last year's!

This image contains three black-and-white printable worksheets for a 'March Reading Challenge.' Each worksheet has a different design and set of reading challenges. The first worksheet has a playful design with bead-like chains featuring words such as 'LOVE,' 'BFF,' 'FRIENDS,' and 'HAPPINESS.' A text box lists reading challenges, such as reading a book that is part of a series, reminds you of a BFF, contains a road trip or adventure, was made into a movie or TV show, inspires a playlist, or allows for a custom challenge. The second worksheet has a space theme, featuring a rocket ship flying through a starry sky with planets and a small alien. The reading challenges listed include reading a book with a planet on the cover, an award-winning book, one with two or more authors, a book published in the last year, a non-fiction book, or creating a custom challenge. The third worksheet has a geometric pattern as its background. The reading challenge text is identical to the second worksheet, allowing for book selections based on themes like awards, multiple authors, and non-fiction. Each worksheet includes a space for the reader's name and encourages selecting four challenges. The resource was created by Jennifer LaGarde, with additional details provided at 'librarygirl.net.'

UNDER THE HOOD

I've gotten some questions about how I create these. I use a combination of the following tools to create the monthly book challenge (and the book related) coloring sheets I share. Each coloring sheet takes me between 4-10 hours to create. (I'm slow).


  • Canva

  • MS Designer (used for a few images during the first year I created these. However, I no longer use AI for this project).

  • Gimp: GNU Photo Editor

  • My own drawings (created using Procreate on my iPad)




 
 
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