GRANGER’S reading challenge was started four years ago by Mrs. Asay. To participate in the reading challenge, a student checks out a book from Grangers media center. There is a slip that the librarian gives you that can be used as a bookmark. However, this bookmark has a secret use as a ticket for a drawing of the reading challenge. Students put that ticket in the box, and if they are selected, that student will receive a prize.

The next drawing will be towards the end of May. Every year there is a new theme- last year was about superheroes, and  this year it is to escape the ordinary. The challenge started four years ago and each year more students have started to participate. This challenge has encouraged more Lancers to read and talk more about books. But through the challenge, they focus on a different subject every month. This month, they are focusing on local heroes but they have something new coming up this month. The librarians have tried to do a promotion that goes through the whole year. The librarians hope that these challenges will get students to finish their books instead of reading them halfway. When it comes to inspiration for these themes, Mrs. Asay had an opinion. “Just talking to all the other librarians and trying to come up with something that will promote the library and encourage kids to read,” Mrs. Asay said.

This challenge has been affecting Lancers and has them taking part in school activities. It has been positive and has encouraged more Lancers each year to read and talk about books. Some Lancers even had opinions about how the challenge is.

“I think reading is important and every student should participate because reading is good for your brain,” David Simon (12)  said. “Reading it is not only educational- you can learn a lot from it and it can also distract you from everything in the real world,” Elena Johnson  (12) said. It has been successful since it began four years ago. Faculty also had varying opinions about the challenge “Any time you can get the students to read and to think and broaden their mind, it not only helps the school but helps all of society,” Mrs Judy said. The library always attempts to do fun things for Lancers and encourage more students to read and participate in these activities.

Administrators and faculty also have thoughts on the reading challenge. “Well I hope that they’re reading more because they’re not reading the same stuff- they always would so they get to choose something that they like to read and influence them to see the escape the books can be,” Mr. Anderson said.

“I am hoping kids finish their books, not just simply checking them out. If you don’t finish it you don’t get that satisfaction of reading the book,” Mrs. Asay said. All the faculty and administrators hope that Lancers are reading more books every year and want them to talk about how that book has affected them. Some faculty had opinions about the impact it is having on the school.“I think success can be measured by the students who do it each student who does it experiences the joy of reading and the opportunity to improve themselves as far as number did,” Mr. Anderson said.

There are prizes that you can obtain if you are picked from the drawing box in the library. The prizes are candy, chips, a toy, and G-Cards. But the main prize of the reading challenge are the kindle fires the library gives out to lucky Lancers. “At christmas time we gave away three kindles and will do so at the end of the year,” Mrs Judy said. Some of the students had an interesting opinion about the prizes. “I think it’s a good thing but also those that are reading to get a prize will stop as soon as that prize has been taken off from the table. Sometimes it will get someone to find out that they love to read,” Johnson said. For those who are wanting to know what next year’s challenge is, it’s still a mystery. There are a few themes that it could possibly be next year: survivor theme like the hunger games or bookopoly.