2020 Reading Challenge: Read a Book from OPL’s 2019 Top Shelf

In 2020, OPL invites patrons to take part in the reading challenge! For each challenge, OPL offers suggestions for titles to read or listen to. As you’re working through the challenge, feel free to tag @omahalibrary on Twitter, opens a new window, Instagram, opens a new window or Facebook, opens a new window to let us know which read you picked up this month!

For the third year in a row, OPL released its Top Shelf, opens a new window, a list of titles staff have felt were the most outstanding in 2019. Librarians love connecting readers to new and interesting books and we’re hopeful that there’s something of interest to our patrons among these featured titles.

The titles have been compiled into this list with ages and categories to make it easier to pick and choose what kind of book you are in the mood for! 

For those looking for some great reads with their kids (or simply a less time-intensive way of tackling this reading challenge) “Ogilvy, opens a new window” by Deborah Underwood, “Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug, opens a new window” by Jonathan Stutzman and “Sheep Dog and Sheep Sheep, opens a new window” by Eric Barclay are great picture book choices for animal-loving readers. There’s also the powerful poem “The Undefeated, opens a new window” by Kwame Alexander, or the classic story with a twist of “Reading Beauty, opens a new window” by Deborah Underwood. 

For books written for older children or young adults (which can be just as appealing to adults), try “The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, opens a new window” by Dan Gemeinhart, “An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People, opens a new window” adapted by Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza, “There’s Something About Sweetie, opens a new window” by Sandhya Menon or “On the Come Up, opens a new window” by Angie Thomas. 

For adults, there are more than 70 titles to choose from including fiction works like “If, Then, opens a new window” by Kate Hope Day, “The Nickel Boys, opens a new window” by Colson Whitehead, “Such A Fun Age, opens a new window” by Kiley Reid and “The Nobody People, opens a new window” by Bob Proehl.

Nonfiction works like “The Lady from the Black Lagoon, opens a new window” by Mallory O’Meara, “Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations, opens a new window” by William H. McRaven, “How We Fight for Our Lives, opens a new window” by Saeed Jones and “How to Be An Anti-racist, opens a new window” by Ibram X. Kendi can be a great way to immerse yourself in exploring society or people’s lives.  

Parenting books were popular in publishing in 2019 and quite a few hit our Top Shelf list this year, including “#imomsohard, opens a new window” by Nebraska natives Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley, “How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids, opens a new window” by Carla Naumburg, “Cribsheet, opens a new window” by Emily Oster and “Kid Gloves, opens a new window” by Lucy Knisley.

With more than 100 titles in all to choose from, we’re excited to learn what you decide to try out.

Starting April 1, 2020, once you complete the 2020 Reading Challenge, enter your reading log online or turn in your completed tracking sheet at your nearest OPL branch and pick up your pinback button prize for completion. All submissions will be entered into a drawing for some fun literary-themed merchandise! All completed tracking sheets or online challenge form entries must be received by December 31, 2020, to be entered into the prize drawing.