Second Annual “Reading First!” Souper Bowl
For the City-Times
Stevens Point, WI – Reading First! is hosting a FREE event for families. The second annual Souper Bowl will be held Tuesday, February 5, from 4:30 to 7:30 PM at the P.J. Jacobs cafeteria.
“The Souper Bowl is a celebration of our Winter reading selections – Paper Bag Princess and Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher,” stated Cheri Karch, Chairman of the Reading First! Committee.
In keeping with the dragon theme, this year’s soup selections are Dragon’s Blood (tomato) or Dragon Noodle (chicken), with crackers, rolls, milk and cookies. Then enjoy a showing of the movie, How to Train Your Dragon. There will also be an activities table, and a free book for every child.
Reading First! was started in 2002 by a group of educators, librarians and business people dedicated to the promotion of reading. Each summer and winter the committee selects two books – a childrens book and a youth novel — and encourages families to read aloud together 20 minutes each day.
Now beginning its twelfth year, Reading First! is still going strong, encouraging reading by selecting and promoting wonderful books and providing free family events. The committee has amassed a list of 38 great ‘read-aloud’ selections that appeal to children of all ages. In the past eleven years the group has given away more than 32,000 books to Portage County families and continues to host free family events every summer and winter.
The group survives solely on donations from area businesses and individuals, and through a grant from the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin. All donations go to purchase books to give away, and to fund free events for families. Donations can be made to the Reading First! Fund at the Community Foundation. For more information about Reading First! contact Cheri Karch at 715-344-9600, or [email protected].