Be Mighty for Your Library

A National Poetry Month Challenge for Public Libraries

April 10 – April 25, 2026

Brought to you by Kwame Alexander, EveryLibrary, and One Word at a Time

Poetry. Libraries. Kids who have something to say.

April is a powerful month. It is National Poetry Month, National School Library Month, and National Library Week all rolled into one. This year, we are celebrating all of it — starting with you and your community. The Be Mighty for Your Library Challenge invites public libraries across the country to elevate the voices of young patrons through poetry, drive real library engagement, and support the school libraries in their communities. Because when public and school libraries work together, kids win.

This April, we invite public libraries across the country to engage their young patrons to do three simple things: use their library, check out a book, and write a short poem about why their library matters.

The Be Mighty for Your Library Challenge is a nationwide activation anchored by #1 New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander and his book The Mighty Macy — a story about a girl who finds her voice, her courage, and the support of her community by advocating for her school library.

At the end of the challenge, Kwame Alexander will create a Community Poem for Libraries drawn from words and lines submitted by kids at participating libraries across the country. Every child who participates becomes a contributor to something larger than themselves.

Here's how it works

For kids (ages 6–16): Complete any 3 of 5 Be Mighty actions — things like signing up for a library card, checking out a book, attending a storytime/library program, or bringing a friend to the library. Once the actions are complete, they write a short poem about their library for display in celebration of National Poetry Month.

For public libraries: Register your library and community school partner, introduce the challenge to visiting kids and families, and watch patrons complete their Be Mighty actions. Host poetry or The Mighty Macy-themed activities. Collect poems for display on your Library Poetry Wall throughout April. Submit participation data through a simple form by April 25th. 

For school libraries: Incorporate The Mighty Macy into classroom reading/activities and encourage students to visit their public library to participate in the challenge. Schools nominated by a participating public library are eligible to receive the One Word at a Time Author Study Season Pass.

For bookstores: Participate as a community partner by hosting in-store poetry readings, hosting a poetry workshop and displaying kids' poems, featuring The Mighty Macy in your displays, and sharing with patrons about the challenge. Bookstores extend the celebration beyond library walls and into the heart of the community.

For communities: Watch your library transform into a stage for young voices sharing through poetry and verse what reading and their library means to them all month long.

There's something in it for your community, too

Three participating library communities will be selected to receive a One Word at a Time Author Study Season Pass — delivered to a partner school nominated by the library.

The prize package includes a Kwame Alexander video read of the entire The Mighty Macy book for one year, a $1000 donation split equally between the public and school library partner to continue providing joyful literacy programming for their patrons, a press release, a featured story in EveryLibrary's Medium Magazine, and a social media shoutout on EveryLibrary and Kwame Alexander's channels.

No purchase necessary to participate or win. Please see the official rules for details.

Everything you need is ready

All registered libraries receive a full toolkit including challenge cards, poetry prompt sheets, a library poster, and social media graphics. The program is designed to layer into what your library already does in April, not add to your load. A founding cohort of libraries will be selected from all registrants and will be the libraries eligible for the Be Mighty Community Literacy Awards — including the opportunity to nominate a local school for the One Word at a Time Author Study Season Pass prize package. Registration is free and open to all public libraries.