It's Cold In West Hartford, So Grab A Book And Play BINGO

WEST HARTFORD, CT — With this weekend's weather deteriorating into a period of bone-chilling cold, the season of reading is really upon us.

After all, who wants to go outside this time of year anyway? It's time to read.

For those who like to curl up with a book, the West Hartford Public Library has a fun, winter reading challenge that plays along the same lines as BINGO.

Here's how it works. Area readers go online and download a special BINGO card for the challenge or get one at any West Hartford library.

Instead of call letters and numbers, however, these BINGO cards have different categories and genres of books, with the center category being "any" book.

Each type of book varies, with some listings featuring young authors, authors who are people of color or, as an example, books set in New England.

All someone has to do to complete the challenge is get a BINGO card, then read five books and having the respective categories line up vertically, horizonally or diagonally on the card.

To register a BINGO hit, participants must write the title and author of the book in the space alloted on the BINGO card.

Then, they turn in their entry and they can win prizes.

The challenge actually started Dec. 1, but it continues until Feb. 28, with submissions actually due by March 7 to qualify for prizes.

The West Hartford Public Library Winter Reading Challenge is made possible by the Thomas F. Kilfoil Memorial Bequest, West Hartford Library Foundation.

For more information on the West Hartford Public Library's reading challenge, click on this link.

To download a West Hartford Public Library Winter Reading Challenge BINGO card, click on this link.

For the hours of the Noah Webster House Library, Bishops Corner Library and the Faxon Library, click on this link.