When you were a child, did you participate in summer reading challenges through your school or library?
My sister had her kids participate in one last summer. As she described the challenges for kids and grown-ups, a wave of nostalgia swept over us. I personally do not remember participating in these in my youth, which makes me rather sad—I missed out! So the nostalgia must be related to a time in life when responsibilities were few and time seemed endless and there was plenty of time to read.
The idea of investing an entire summer reading sounds divine. (And if I could read my summer away in a hammock, under a tree, with a soft breeze blowing . . . well, then I might be sleeping more than reading.)
Now that I’m more-or-less an adult, however, I do not have endless time to indulge in my perfect-dream-of-a-summer activity.
But I did discover a reading challenge designed for people just like me! The fun is packed into one 24-hour period. The the rules are flexible. And the company is sure to be delightful!
It’s Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon, scheduled for Saturday, April 18 through Sunday, April 19. Running from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. (CST), you can cram in as many words, pages, chapters, and books as your weary eyes and brain can manage.
I plan to participate in an attempt to relive my youth (when I didn’t complete a summer reading challenge). My goal is to read something every hour (yes, I always dream big). And I would also like to have some sort of theme for my selections (yes, I’m an overachiever). I do not, however, feel compelled to completely deny myself of sleep (this is where I draw the line).
Want to join the madness? Sign-up will soon be open.
Let’s pretend we are kids again, energy and gumption and all.
