But, we didn’t count on our inability to get the information out in a consistent manner and quite frankly, we are really bummed that we haven’t done better with it.  So, here is the game plan for finishing up the summer with a bang.

Journal : We love the idea of you  writing about what you read and here are all the prompts you can write about in your journal.  Didn’t get a journal, stop by and we will get you one.  Bring it back on our August 11^th Back to School Event and get a prize.

Prompts:

Week 1:  Write about your favorite character from any book you have read in the last two years.  Why are they your favorite?  If you like, you could draw a picture of your favorite character in action instead of/or with your writing.

Week 2:  Did you ever read a book that you felt the cover didn’t really fit with the story and you would have done something else with the artwork?  Write about or draw your version of the cover.

Week 3:  Did you ever read a book that made you feel something very strongly, like very happy, sad, angry or excited?  Write about that book and why it made you feel like that.  Or you can draw a picture of yourself feeling that strong emotion.

Week 4:  Do you ever wish you could go to the places you read about?  Write about where you would go (even imaginary lands) if you could or draw yourself in those places.

Week 5:  What kind of story would you like to be the main character of?  Write or draw a scene from a book that features you as the main character.

Week 6:  Did you ever read a story that you didn’t like the way it ended?  Do you think you could come up with a better ending?  Write the new ending or draw a scene from your ending.

Week 7:  Where do you like to read?  Are you more likely to read on a couch or in bed or under a tree?  Write about why you read where you do or draw a picture of your favorite spot to read.

Week 8:  Why is reading important to you?  Think about what it would be like to not be able to write or hear stories.  Write about why reading is important to you or draw advertisement poster encouraging other kids to read.  Be sure and use your reasons why you find reading important in the advertisement.

Week 9:  Have you ever learned a lesson from a character in a book?  For example, Snow White’s might have taught you to be careful about accepting gifts from strangers.  Write about or draw a scene that explains a lesson you learned from a book.

Week 10:  Looking back at all the entries you have made, what was the most fun to write or draw?

Photo Challenge:  We really liked the idea of engaging our readers by pointing out that reading takes place all over the place and actively seeking those reading opportunities could really help us out.   Where we dropped the ball was in trying to make it so you had to come back every week to get the new challenge.  Sorry, one of our less than effective ideas.  So, here is a full list of challenges and bring in your photos during that Back to School  Event for a prize as well.

• Take a picture of you and what you are reading this week
• Take a picture of you helping your family with a recipe
• Take a picture of your favorite place to read
• Take a picture of something that gives you directions
• Take a picture of you at your favorite branch of the library
• Take a picture of  something mentioned (can be only mentioned once like a comb or a pen)in the book you are reading this week but take it really close up. Don’t forget to write down what it is so at the end of the summer you won’t forget what it is.
• Take a picture of words on a food wrapper
• Take a picture of words found on a trail
• Take a picture of words found in a parking lot
• (BIGGEST CHALLENGE) Take pictures from now until our Back to School Event that show words in the world around you.  Be creative and be sure you are in the pictures as well.

Donations: We will be focusing our efforts on collecting school supplies for the upcoming school year (yes it is coming up quick).  We will be donating all the materials to the Poudre School District who will then distribute them to kids in need.  We are accepting all kinds of materials – pens, pencils, glue, backpacks, paper , binders and all other manner of school “stuff”.   With all the over the top sales the big box chain stores are running, for two bucks , you can really help a person out.

Anthology/Collection:
A Dozen on Denver: Stories, Rocky Mountain News (editor), Fulcrum Publishing

Biography:
Rosalie Edge, Hawk of Mercy: The Activist Who Saved Nature from the Conservationists, by Dyana Z. Furmansky, The University of Georgia Press

Children’s Literature:
Grandmother, Have the Angels Come? by Denise Vega, illustrated by Erin Eitter Kono, Little, Brown and Company

Creative Nonfiction:
Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America by Helen Thorpe, Scribner

General Nonfiction:
Voices of the American West by Corinne Platt and Meredith Ogilby, Fulcrum Publishing

Genre Fiction – Historical & Romance:
A Land Beyond Ravens: Book 4 of the Macsen’s Treasure Series by Kathleen Cunningham Guler, Bardsong Press

Genre Fiction – Mystery/Thriller & Science Fiction/Fantasy:
The Radio Magician and Other Stories by James Van Pelt, Fairwood Press

History:
First Kill Your Family: Child Soldiers of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army by Peter Eichstaedt, Lawrence Hill Books

Juvenile Literature:
Artsy-Fartsy: An Aldo Zelnick Comic Novel by Karla Oceanak, illustrated by Kendra Spanjer, Bailiwick Press

Literary Fiction:
Spoon by Robert Greer, Fulcrum Publishing

Pictorial:
Phlogs: Journey to the heart of the human predicament by George Stranahan and Nicole Beinstein Strait, People’s Press

Poetry:
Theory of Mind: New & Sekected Poemsby Bin Ramke, Omnidawn Publishing

Young Adult Literature:
The Indigo Notebook by Laura Resau, Delacorte Press

For More Information go to http://www.coloradohumanities.org/content/2010-colorado-book-awards-winners-announced

Bounty List Below

or follow this link to:  Indiebound Bestseller List

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Shaffer

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Series by Stieg Larsson

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Rainbow Magic Series by Daisy Meadows

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

Here at the Cove we are all about celebrating independents — no, we do know how to spell, but we encourage you every day to support the independent businesses that make Fort Collins the special place it is.  Join us on July 2nd to support independents and celebrate our freedom to read what we want and have fun while doing it!

And don’t forget, buying a used book is a great way to help the environment, too.  We have hundreds of great kids and adult selections that are in great shape and cost half of normal retail costs.  Help the environment; help your wallet and your mind.  Not bad for one book.

You can create your own personalized journal to keep track of the books you read or take photos of reading that happens around the town.  You can help the community by joining forces with us to collect items for local non-profits.  You can join us for our Community Celebrations that take place on every other Friday night for the duration of the Summer.  Look below for more details.  We will be sending out a newsletter each week specifically for Reading Program.  If you are interested in getting on that list – email us at books@thereaderscove.com to sign up

#1  Make your own journal: Stop by and pick up one of our blank journals or make one of your own, decorate it and then keep track of your summer reading books and write about them in the journal. We will offer you a “prompt” each week to keep you going on the project – just in case you don’t know what to write about. Bring your work in to our end of summer event and get a prize for your efforts.  This is a great way for you to interact with the books you read.  That means the stories you read will stick with you longer and have more meaning to you, AND you get to use your creativity to express yourself.

Prompts so far:

Week 1:  Write about your favorite character from any book you have read in the last two years.  Why are they your favorite?  If you like, you could draw a picture of your favorite character in action instead of/or with your writing.

Week 2:  Did you ever read a book that you felt the cover didn’t really fit with the story and you would have done something else with the artwork?  Write about or draw your version of the cover.

#2  Keep a picture log: Reading happens everywhere, not just in a book.  We want you do show us how you are involved with reading by taking photos of you and words.  Each week we will give you a set of photo challenges.  Snap a photo of each for your portfolio and bring them in at the end of summer as well for great prizes.  We know that many folks out there have digital cameras or cameras on their phones, so a digital file with your pictures are great, but not necessary.  If you are like many of us here at the Cove, we like the old photo ways and still use film in a camera.  Just have fun and be creative in what you take photos of.

Week One photo challenges:

#1  Take a picture of you and what you are reading this week

#2  Take a picture of you helping your family with a recipe

#3  Take a picture of your favorite place to read

Week Two photo challenges:

#1  Take a picture of something that gives you directions

#2  Take a picture of you at your favorite branch of the library

#3  Take a picture of  something mentioned (can be only mentioned once like a comb or a pen)in the book you are reading this week but take it really close up. Don’t forget to write down what it is so at the end of the summer you won’t forget what it is.

#3  Community Efforts:  Every two weeks, we chose a different non-profit to collect materials for.  You can help by bringing in items for one of these great local non-profits.

From June 18^th through July 2^nd, we are collecting for the Food Bank of Larimer County.  Bring in your non-perishables to the store to add to our collections.