Bruce County Public Library (BCPL) has brought the nation's largest children's recreational reading program to Bruce County.

The Forest of Reading program consists of a total of six categories and caters to children from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The program typically has upwards of 270,000 participants annually.

Each category consists of 10 popular titles and for most categories, participants are required to read a minimum of five books before being eligible to vote for their favourite. The picture book category, Blue Spruce, is aimed at children from Kindergarten to Grade 2, and is the only category where participants must read all ten titles.

Once their category is completed, students can vote for their favourite before the program ends on April 30, 2023.

This year BCPL is working to engage local schools to register as a group through Beanstack. Beanstack is a free service provided by BCPL where readers can track their reading, complete challenges and win prizes.

The Forest of Reading program will be running Forest Fridays, where nominees will host 30 minute virtual visits that participants can connect to at home, in the classroom, or at their local BCPL branch. There will also be a series of activities that students can participate in and earn virtual badges.

Library Director Brooke McLean said she hopes the Forest of Reading program will follow the success of their Summer Reading Club, which saw record numbers in 2022. "The Forest of Reading is a unique way to engage children over the winter months and continue to help build a lifelong love of reading in Bruce County," McLean said.

To learn more about Forest of Reading or to access the list of nominated titles and category breakdowns, visit forestofreading.com.