Readers ABC Challenge (With Prizes!)

Everyone I know is getting ready for summer reading.  Teachers are making lists of recommended reading for their students, moms are picking out books to pack on vacation, librarians and volunteers are setting up their reading programs.

In the midst of all this, I like to remind myself – and all of you – how much of reading is NOT about books.  We get so wound up in tracking which color sticker is on our children’s books, how many pages or chapters they’ve read, how many minutes they’ve logged.  We forget that there are a multitude of things that we read everyday that aren’t books.  We forget that each takes different skill sets.

In light of this, I am introducing a challenge – with prizes, of course! I call it the Readers ABC Challenge.

Here’s the deal:

• The contest is open to kids 4-16 years old (with parent’s permission, of course. All entries must come from an adult’s e-mail account)
• Contest starts 5-19-14 and ends 8-1-14
• From all kids who complete the challenge, I will draw 2 at random on 8-2-14.
• The first will receive a $25 bookstore gift card.
• The second will receive a 1-yr subscription to my kids’ favorite magazine National Geographic Kids, or to an age-appropriate equivalent. (US residents only for the magazine. If you are not a US resident, we’ll work something out between us!)

How do you enter?

1. Parent/guardian please follow this site. If you are not a WordPress.com user, you can follow by entering your e-mail in the box at the top of the sidebar, right-hand side of the page.  This makes it easy for me to track you down when your child wins!
2. Share the contest page with friends in whatever way you choose.  (Facebook, twitter, word-of-mouth, carrier pigeon) The more, the merrier!
3. Use my alphabetical list below, or help your child create their own.  He/she just needs to read something that starts with each letter of the alphabet.  Good luck with “X!”  Young kids may read with your help – it’s great to introduce even early readers to all these different types of literacy!
4. Email me to let me know your child completed the task! Use the email button at the top of the blog, or send to howes {underscore} katey {at} yahoo {dot} com . Please put “Reader ABC Challenge Entry” in the subject line.
5. You may include a copy of your child’s list, a photo, or whatever you like with your entry! I reserve the right to display any submitted photos or documents on a contest gallery page of this blog. Whatever you do, be sure to include your child’s first name OR initials, age, and how to contact you if he/she wins!
6. Have fun reading together!

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An extra note to my author/bookstore owner/other awesome friends: If you’d like to donate a prize to the contest, I would be thrilled. Send me an e-mail about it and we’ll make sure you get plenty of mention on my page! Thanks!