BOOK IT!

When I was a kid, summer meant reading and, specifically, reading books for BOOK IT!, Pizza Hut's reading incentive program. I am really pleased to see that the program still exists, and the BOOK IT! web site includes a bunch of resources and reading lists for children, parents, and teachers. They also sell these sweet vintage style t-shirts and, for each one sold, donate a book to a child. (I like the one that says "Will still read books for pizza.")

Please pardon me while I wax nostalgic for a moment. . . .

I absolutely loved BOOK IT!. I would get my reading list at the end of the school year, then spend the summer plowing through the books on the list, and collecting gold stars from the librarian. When I had earned enough gold stars, my dad would take me to Pizza Hut to collect my reward: a one-topping personal pan pizza. But, for me, the real appeal of the program was having the satisfaction of reading every book on the list.

This blog is now basically my own personal reading incentive program. And I will be posting my official summer reading list as soon as I have decided on a reasonable number of books to try to read before Labor Day.