Helmet Reading Challenge 2026

In this playful challenge, you have 50 challenge items that introduce you to the world of literature in a diverse manner. This year, the Helmet Reading Challenge features hockey players, circuses, and amusement parks. Welcome aboard!

The Helmet Reading Challenge has been compiled by library professionals. The challenge items are based on suggestions gathered from the participants of the reading challenge over the years.

If the 50-item reading challenge seems too daunting, you can take on the Little Helmet Reading Challenge with 25 books. The Little Helmet Reading Challenge is designed around a set of challenges specifically for children, but it is open to both young and older readers. All the items in the Little Helmet Reading Challenge can also be found in the Helmet Reading Challenge, so you can move from the Little Reading Challenge to the Helmet challenge in the middle of the year

Five key points for successfully completing the Reading Challenge:

  1. The Reading Challenge is open to all readers. Everyone is welcome to participate.
  2. The purpose of the reading challenge is to increase reading pleasure, not cause you stress. There is no need to aim for a certain number of books. You can read in any form you wish, meaning that physical, audio, and e-books are all welcome.
  3. Everyone is welcome to participate in the Reading Challenge in their own way and make up their own rules. It is up to you to decide whether you want to use the same book to check off more than one item on the list, focus on a particular genre or only read books you have never read before. If you want to keep track of your progress in the challenge, tools for this purpose are available below the item list.
  4. Everyone is welcome to participate in the Reading Challenge in their own way and make up their own rules. It is up to you to decide whether you want to use the same book to check off more than one item on the list, focus on a particular genre or only read books you have never read before. If you want to keep track of your progress in the challenge, tools for this purpose are available below the item list.
  5. If you need help finding a suitable book, you can, for example, head to your local library and ask the staff for their tips. Tips on suitable books are also shared on the Reading Challenge Facebook group. Help is also available from the Ask a Librarian service.

Have a great reading year 2026!

Helmet Reading Challenge 2026

  1. British classic
  2. The title of the book contains the word ‘star’
  3. The book is associated with Agatha Christie (50th anniversary of her death)
  4. The book is on ‘Otavan kirjasto’ list of books
  5. The book has an epilogue
  6. The book is set in a city that has hosted the Winter Olympics
  7. Romance novel
  8. A book in which no one falls in love
  9. The book features a hockey player
  10. A book in which something is cut
  11. The book has 400–500 pages
  12. The title of the book does not indicate the language in which it is written
  13. The book features a birthday celebration
  14. The book features a robot, a drone, or another similar device
  15. The cover or the title of the book contains a bird
  16. The author has written for both adults and children or young people
  17. The title of the book has a nationality
  18. A book that belongs in several different genres
  19. The title of the book references a part of a house
  20. You would like to be one of the characters in the book
  21. The book features a visit to a museum
  22. The main colour of the book cover is blue or the word ‘blue’ appears in the title of the book
  23. Cozy crime novel
  24. The book features a circus or an amusement park
  25. A travelogue
  26. An LGBTQ+ book with a happy ending
  27. The book features a garden
  28. The book features dancing
  29. The events of the book take place over several decades
  30. The main character’s parents are missing or otherwise absent
  31. There is a playlist or a song mentioned in the book
  32. The cover or title of the book contains a castle
  33. The protagonist of the book is over 60 years old
  34. The book features someone hiding
  35. The book has short chapters
  36. A book you’d like to discuss with others after reading
  37. A book related to radio or television (Yle 100 years)
  38. The book features collecting of something
  39. A book by an author you’ve never read before
  40. The book is set in autumn
  41. You think the cover or the title of the book is beautiful
  42. The book contains words or phrases in another language
  43. The latest book from your favourite author
  44. The book has been nominated for the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize
  45. The book features bullying
  46. The first part of a trilogy
  47. The second part of a trilogy
  48. The third part of a trilogy
  49. The book was published in 2026
  50. The book was recommended by a library employee

Help with the Reading Challenge:

Printable version of the Reading Challenge (PDF)

Tables for following up with the Reading Challenge

Reading Challenge Facebook group

Resources for libraries, blogs, bookstagrammers, and media

Previous Helmet Reading Challenges:

2015-2025 reading challenges

Text: Lotta Autio, Vantaa City Library