We are putting together a reading challenge for the summer. I just read all about our local public library's summer reading challenge. There's no way our church reading challenge can come close to what all they are doing. Now I understand why absolutely no one participated in what we did last year. I do know that some of you can easily compete with the public library challenges because you have been doing it for years.
Our local library uses Beanstack. Click here to visit their website. Anyone using them? Just curious.
Morlee
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I wonder if there is a way to use the information from the article "Important Relationships: Church Librarians and Children" to make a reading program that capitalizes on or develops those relationships. Like a Summer Reading Bingo game, where not only do children read the books, but they do something to apply what they have learned, and check a box on a Bingo card. You might get parents on board as well, if the reading program builds connections within their families and between the children and the church/ congregation, or teaches some Christian disciplines. E.g., read a book about a missionary and pray for that country.
Working alone in our library, I haven't had the time/ guts to hold a reading challenge yet. And I have no clue about prizes. I have considered a patch for completing the program, or a special lunch if there are "winners" - their favorite meal, with anyone in the church - the pastor, their Sunday school teacher, Upward coach, or another friend.
We also have some community connections - Rita's frozen custard, and Chic-fil-A - maybe they could donate coupons as prizes. I am not there yet! :)
We do several different things, prize-wise.
To begin with, I get coupons from local businesses, which we give out along the way as goals are reached. Here are some who have been willing to donate (some may be chains in my state only, I have no idea!):
Ritter's; Culver's; Chic-fil-A; Tim Horton's; Bella Creamery; Biggby; Wendy's.
We also include coupons for "six home-made chocolate chip cookies" (which I bake); and "one cupcake" - made by someone in the church and handed out at our end-of-program party.
We also track how many books each person reads; some years also how many pages. In each age group, then, at the end, we give prizes to the top two or three in each category. Those prizes have, in the past, included the following:
gift cards to a local book store
new books we have on hand (often duplicates or ones we specifically bought for prizes) - sometimes we choose what to give each person, sometimes we spread them all on a table and let them choose themselves.
Last year, along with a book, we put together a little bag for each child that included a cool pencil, some cute erasers, stickers, and I forget what else.
And at the party we have food - generally just cookies or cupcakes, but one year we had a pizza party.
BTW, I emailed our Children's MInister about what I discovered the public library will be doing. She and I have decided to go ahead and have our Reading Challenge for children. We will launch it at the VBS Family Night on June 23.
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