Easter Read-A-Thon

(ZIZ News) — The Charles E. Halbert Public Library is once again promoting the importance of reading with its annual Easter Read-A-Thon this week.

Held under the theme “Let Reading Broaden Your Horizons”, the Read-A-Thon is encouraging children aged 7 to 12 to read as many books as they can in one week.

According to Information Research Officer Denise Welsh, the library hosts the annual event because it is important to encourage children to read at an early age.

She said, “Every year we have it because well we want to keep reading alive and one way to do that is to let the children come here. We get some coming back year after year so it’s something that is needed and it does get children reading.”

Welsh said over the years the Read A-Thon has advanced to include interactive activities to keep the children interested in reading.

“It originally started with letting the kids read as many books as possible and the child that read the most books would have been adjudged the overall winner of the reading programme but over the years we have found that leaving the children just reading for the full week, their attention span wanes and so we have tried to incorporate other activities to keep their interest alive,” she explained.

The children are quizzed after reading each book to make sure that they understand what they’ve read.

At the end of the week, the child who has read the most books will be named the winner and presented a prize at a ceremony to be held in April.

The Charles E. Halbert Public Library Easter Read-A-Thon started in 1995.