Read a Book, Win a Prize
My children participated in the county library's reading program this summer. I haven't done one of these since I was in, like, 3rd grade, and back then my big prize for participating was a set of certificates shaped like a train on which I could write the titles of all my completed books and tape it around my bedroom wall. That, and a discount coupon to Pizza Hut.
Frederick County Public Library in 2006 has come a long way. The girls had all summer to read their books and perform various other library/reading/research related tasks. They got prizes just for signing up for the program, prizes for completing each level, prizes for finishing the program, prizes for having blue eyes, prizes for breathing... Granted, the prizes consisted of pencils, notepads, stickers and temporary tattoos, but they literally got prizes EVERY time they darkened the door of the children's section.
The one prize drawing that really convinced me to sign them up was this: A weekend trip for four to Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens Europe. Wow. That ain't no discount coupon to Pizza Hut! Turns out I could even enter my 2 year old for the drawing. (She had to actually complete the program before her name went in the hat. I was honest, I read TO her. And it was perfectly legal.) I figure our chances are about 3 in 4,000. (We're studying the Colonists this fall, so a free trip to Williamsburg would be perfect. 3 in 4,000 is a lot better odds than 0 in 4,000, ya know.)
Tonight we took our free coupons for Taco Bell (from the reading program) and ate soft tacos before we headed off to use our free passes to the Frederick Keys baseball game (from the reading program). I still have to plan a date to use our free passes to the Baltimore Zoo (from the reading program) and double coupons for a soft serve ice cream at Chik-Fil-A (from the reading program).
More prizes awaited them when we went to the Reading Club Completion Party (only those who've finished the program get invited- ooh la la). A magician, italian ice served buffet-style in the park, more pencils, more tattoos, more stickers and bookmarks.
I'll be opening up an office supply store here soon. No matter that everything is emblazoned, "Reading Rocks!" And if my 2 year old happens to win the grand-prize drawing, you'll be sure to read about it. Who knew reading could be so lucrative?
paper lantern of the day Tuesday, August 15, 2006
1 Comments:
My library (it's all a competition, you know) has a reading program for kids (I have no idea what this looks like having no children) and for adults (which I gleefully entered, sort of). The adults handed in reading slips for every three books they read to enter a drawing for a gift certificate to a bookstore. I was excited. I knew I could fill up reading slips to the limited five we were allowed. Except I only remembered to turn two slips in. Oh, well.
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