Tewksbury & Wilmington Libraries Invite Residents To Compete In Fall Reading Competition  

The residents of Tewksbury and Wilmington are invited to participate in the first annual “Reading Rivals” Fall Reading Competition between the two communities. 

Organized by the Tewksbury Public Library and Wilmington Memorial Library, residents are encouraged to keep track of their reading between October 12 and November 24. Tewksbury residents should visit https://tewksburypl.beanstack.org to register and begin logging their reading time. Wilmington residents should do the same at https://wilmlibrary.beanstack.org. Residents who participated in either library’s summer reading programs can use their previous accounts or start fresh. 

This competition is open to all ages – children, teens and adults. Reading of all sorts counts – including magazines, newspapers, graphic novels, manga and comic books. Audiobooks count too! 

The community that reads the most during the six weeks will be declared the winner during the halftime of the Wilmington vs. Tewksbury Thanksgiving Day Football game, receive ultimate bragging rights and earn the prestigious “Reading Cup,” a glorious trophy that will be on display at the library.

Individual readers can be winners too! There will be weekly drawings – from both libraries – featuring $25 gift cards from local restaurants. Each library will also randomly select a grand prize winner, who will receive a $100 gift certificate to the local business of their choice. 

“Tewksbury beats Wilmington every Thanksgiving, and this reading competition will be no different,” said Robert Hayes, Tewksbury Community Outreach Librarian. “While I applaud Wilmington librarian Erin Driscoll for organizing this competition, I think she made a wise decision in allowing me to design the winner’s trophy, since it’s going to reside at the Tewksbury Public Library for many years to come.”  

Editor’s note: Hayes is also editor of Carnation sister site the Wilmington Apple. Mixed loyalties?

“Over the course of our Summer Reading Program this year, we had nearly 900 participants of all ages, so we know Tewksbury residents are avid readers,” added Tewksbury Assistant Director Nicole Goolishian. “Together with the unstoppable library staff, we’re confident we have what it takes to out-read our Wilmington neighbors.”

Teen Department staff Emily Leggat and Kate Jennings are excited to offer so many titles to Tewksbury readers. “Should they start adventuring with Deku and All Might, fight demons with Tanjiro Kamado, gather together to fight an ancient dragon in the Dungeon Master’s guide or listen to a crime being solved in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder? So many options for victory when all reading counts,” they said.

Miss Kat in the Tewksbury Library’s Children’s Room is ready to go with reading recommendations for the young and the young at heart. “We have books on just about any topic you can think of, and we’re happy to help you find just the right one,” she added.  

Hardcover F. Turtle, the Tewksbury Library’s Director of Charisma and Hospitality, is particularly excited to get the challenge started. She prefers audiobooks, so she doesn’t have to worry about soggy pages.