Beanstack announced it has acquired Comics Plus, bringing together a reading motivation platform with a digital content library to form a new brand, Joyful Reading Company. The combined entity aims to increase reading engagement by pairing Beanstack’s motivation tools with Comics Plus’s catalog of comics, graphic novels, manga, and picture books.
The new company is focused on making reading more accessible and enjoyable, particularly for schools and libraries. Comics Plus’s model allows unlimited, simultaneous access to content, eliminating holds, waitlists, and borrowing limits, while Beanstack contributes tools designed to build reading habits and track engagement.
By integrating these offerings, Joyful Reading Company is positioning itself as a comprehensive reading ecosystem that supports both access to content and motivation to read. The company emphasized that the partnership aligns with a broader shift in education toward student-driven reading and away from rigid, skills-based assessment systems.
The companies said the transition for existing partners will be seamless, with continued innovation aimed at improving reading engagement and supporting diverse readers. The new platform will also incorporate additional tools, including a forthcoming Reading Motivation Index, to help educators and librarians measure impact and encourage participation.
Joyful Reading Company stated that its mission is to make reading more engaging and accessible, helping schools and libraries foster stronger reading cultures and lifelong reading habits.
KEY QUOTES:
“At Beanstack, we’ve always led with love and inclusion. We believe every kid, and every adult, is a reader. They just need the right spark and books they enjoy. By combining with Comics Plus, we’re motivating readers while sharing the keys to a library they’ll never want to leave. This is about creating a connected ecosystem designed to help inspire reading, expand access, and demonstrate impact. We want to redefine what success looks like in literacy. Success is a kid staying up ten minutes past bedtime to finish a graphic novel. Success is a library buzzing with excitement over a community reading goal. That’s the joy we’re here to build.”
Felix Lloyd, CEO of Joyful Reading Company
“Joining forces with Beanstack is the perfect next chapter for Comics Plus. Our mission has always been to remove barriers to reading. Now, we’re combining that access with Beanstack’s incredible ability to encourage and celebrate every reader’s journey. It’s a perfect match.”
Ian Singer, Head of Public and Academic Libraries at Joyful Reading Company
