Ten Libraries Compete to Get Teens Excited About Reading on James Patterson's ReadKiddoRead.com

NEW YORK, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten librarians, hailing from Poughkeepsie, New York, to Northfield, Minnesota, have been selected as finalists in the Mighty Cause ReadKiddoRead Librarian Giveaway. Each has received a Kodak video camera to document the results of their proposed library programs, which were chosen for their unique approaches to get kids excited about books and reading.

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Many budget cuts across the country's schools have downsized or even completely eliminated school libraries. This contest aims to initiate awareness and ultimately begin to counter the disconcerting trend. The results are working to bring more and more teenagers through the doors of their local public or school libraries.

On March 12th, the bands Third Degree, Rose, and Aaron Carlton played to a full house of teens at "ShamROCK," an afterhours concert hosted by the LaFayette-Walker County Public Library in LaFayette, Georgia. The library promoted upcoming programs and introduced its new young adult section to the concert's attendees, most of whom were new to the library and drawn in by the music.

Other nominated programs include "Pages," a series of recorded book talks and videoconferences with popular authors, from a library in Fort Smith, Arkansas, "LARP," a live action role playing party where kids may arrive in costume as their favorite fictional characters, set to take place in Carmichaels, PA, and "NOLASK8: Laissez les Bons Livres Rouler!," a day of skateboarding outside a New Orleans, Louisiana library.

"The quality of submissions was impressive," says James Patterson.  "Any of these programs would do a world of good if put into action. Let's hope parents are supporting their kids' reading habits as much as these librarians are."  

One grand winner will be selected from the top ten to win $2,500 for their library, as well as a free ABT Teen Seminar. The winner will be announced on June 15, 2010.

Highlights from the videotaped programs will be available on EarlyWord.com and ReadKiddoRead.com, along with tips for how anyone can best promote books and reading in schools or local libraries.

About ReadKiddoRead.com

James Patterson's ReadKiddoRead.com is a web site designed to help parents, teachers, and librarians ignite the next generation's passion for reading by recommended books carefully chosen for their ability to get kids excited about reading.  Complete with age designations, thoughtful book descriptions, author and celebrity interviews (Jeff Kinney, Rick Riordan, Julie Andrews, Lemony Snicket, and more), links to online retailers and more, ReadKiddoRead.com helps make finding a book for a young person easy and, ultimately, rewarding.  

About ABT for Teens

ABT for Teens encourages and helps enable youth to find their "Mighty Cause," their passionate beliefs and values that are important to them and to the wider world. Change The Way You See Everything Through Asset-Based Thinking – For TEENS, an interactive book by and for teens, was published in March of 2009. Parenthood.com calls it "an inspiring and motivating book that can help many visual learning adolescents, and even audio adolescents, live an all around happier life."

About EarlyWord.com

EarlyWord is a blog and a website on a mission — to give libraries the earliest information possible on the books their customers will be looking for, so they can stay ahead of demand. By giving readers what they want, when they want it, we believe libraries can increase their circulation and their support. In addition to news on the blog, EarlyWord has many other features: links to download publisher catalogs, publisher contacts, bestseller lists, consumer reviews, and a listing of upcoming and current movies with tie-in title information. EarlyWord is co-founded by Nora Rawlinson and Fred Ciporen.

SOURCE James Patterson's ReadKiddoRead.com