How ‘Nessie’ is encouraging kids to read in Kent County

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A new program at Kent County libraries aims to turn elementary age kids into lifelong readers.

Kent District Library’s new Legendary Readers program encourages kids from kindergarten through fifth grade to read, write and visit the library.

After downloading a tracking sheet online or picking one up from a KDL branch, kids can track how often they read, write and visit the library outside of the classroom throughout the school year. After doing one of those three activities 100 times, and crossing off 100 Loch Ness monsters on the tracking sheet, kids can get a ‘Nessie’ bookmark.

“We’re excited to start this new Legendary Readers program,” Dave Palma, regional manager two at the Englehardt and Alto branches, told News 8. “It is about encouraging lifelong reading for our youngest readers and helping them just to continue to develop that skill while they’re in elementary school and beyond.”

The program starts whenever participants start school. Prizes can be picked up between Jan. 2 and June 13.

Ten students who finish the challenge will also get the grand prize of a $100 Schuler Books gift card.

“It’s a wonderful thing to be able to read and that will follow you the rest of your life,” Palma said. “To be able to develop that skill throughout elementary school will pay dividends in middle school and high school, as you become a better reader, a better writer, and the only way to do that is to practice.”

He said reading also “opens up so many doors.”

“We get to just experience someone else’s story in a way that’s very unique to every reader,” he said. “When I read a book, my imagination is … creating a completely different image than what yours might be when you read the same book, and it’s wonderful to have those shared experiences.”

For more information and to sign up, go to kdl.org .

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