For the past five years, PVHS’s library has been hosting the Great PVHS Reading Challenge. The challenge includes 25 different categories students can complete bingo with. Over the course of the year, students are challenged to complete bingo on the sheet. The bingo card is due at the end of the school year with the library promising a sweet treat as a reward.
From Hogwarts to Gotham City, reading can transport people to faraway places. Reading has always been a favorite pastime for people around the world. However, according to the National Endowment for the Arts , the percentage of people who read for leisure has been declining in recent years.
In an effort to promote reading and invite students to discover a new hobby, the PVHS library is kicking off the annual Great Reading Challenge.
The challenge includes categories such as “read a western” or “read a trilogy.” Along with being a great way to enrich one’s reading habits, the challenge is a great way to find new genres or authors. “I never really knew about that [art history] and it was interesting to learn about it. It’s also nonfiction which I usually don’t read,” said sophomore Sadie Morales after reading “The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession” by Michael Finkle, a nonfiction book to complete the “Read a book about art.” category.
The range of categories allows students to explore a variety of different themes in a unique way. “I just want an opportunity for kids to have different ways to read. Just to branch out and find different avenues to read through. Just for kids to challenge themselves,” said Librarian Carissa McDonald.
The PVHS library plays an important role in the success of the reading challenge. McDonald is always available to help students navigate different genres and find book recommendations. Additionally, the PVHS library has a spinning rack with book recommendations for various sections, such as “tearjerkers” and “books that have been adapted to movies.”
Apart from finding new interests, reading can unlock many benefits as well. Reading can help in many aspects of life. “Reading can introduce to the experiences of other people without having to be in their situations or environments. I don’t have to go to Detroit or L.A to learn about those places,” said senior Hunter Schurke. Voluntary reading positively correlates with better grades, fluency and self-identity.
The impact of the reading challenge can reach much more than individual students. As more students participate, the school’s culture can shift towards celebrating books and voluntary reading. The reading challenge is a tradition that encourages both new students and seasoned bookworms to come together and share their love of reading.
