I Read I Vote
I Read! I Vote! is a school-year-long program based on the Minnesota Youth Reading Awards. The series includes: a kick-off celebration of last year's bookmark design award winners, school visits to bring programming and books to 25 Saint Paul schools, in-house library events, the annual bookmark design contest, voting on favorite books at all SPPL branches, and a final celebration. The program will include a visit from author Bao Phi.
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Kids engage in reading and developing their opinions on which books speak to them. Additionally, they take part in a voting process and a bookmark design contest, showcasing their creativity. They attend a kick-off and a final celebration party motivating them to continue to read and feel confident in their opinions and personal takeaways on books.
Teachers were very appreciative of the opportunity to have Bao Phi visit their classrooms and students were genuinely interested in Bao's book, as well as his career path as an author. Some of the children are from Vietnam and really connected with Bao's experiences. Children loved designing their own bookmarks as part of the contest and voting on their favorite I Read! I Vote! books. They enjoyed being the "experts" and having an opportunity to express their opinions and see their vote count.