Josh’s note: This is not an advertisement or a paid promotion, I’m writing about this because I think it’s awesome and everyone should be as excited about this as I am. That said, if anyone wants to give me free pizza, I will not stop you.

Holy Nostalgia Batman!

Right now I am flashing back to third grade at Monterey Road Elementary School in Atascadero, California. My teacher, Mr. McConnell (and I’m sorry if I spelt that wrong) was known for theming his room each year and this year was all about Jurassic Park and I wasn’t mad about it. Each month we were given a reading tracker and for some reason the only one I remember had a Dilophosaurus on it. I can see it so vividly in my mind as I write this. I see myself on the top bunk in the room that I shared with my brother, devouring some book so that I could color in one of the dinosaurs, one step closer to my prize.

Pizza.

Now that I think about it, this explains why every time I sit down to read, I start to crave pizza.

I’m not sure if schools are still running their own programs like this but there is someone out there who is- Pizza Hut!

Parents and educators who grew up in the late 80’s and into the 90’s might remember Pizza Huts program, Book It! It was and still is awesome. That’s right, it’s still very much a thing and now your kids can get in on the action this summer!

The program has been around since 1984 and has been instrumental in helping kids grow in their reading skills in the summer months when it’s all too tempting to give up books. The program was developed to help inspire a lifelong love of reading in students and I can personally attest that, for me, it worked.

While many things have changed over the last 37 years, Pizza Hut’s commitment to encouraging reading has remained the same. Well, there’s one small difference, they’ve gone digital!

Parents can sign their child up through the Book It! Online Portal and can decide from there how they’d like their child’s progress tracked- per page read, minutes spent reading, or number of books read. Beginning on June 1st parents can start to record and track their child’s progress through the portal and when your child meets their monthly goal, they are rewarded with a certificate for a free one-topping personal pizza from Pizza Hut!

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!

The program is also available during the school year for classrooms (running from October to March). Educators can set classroom goals and the prize structure is similar to the summer program.

For more information about this program parents and educators can visit www.bookitprogram.com. Once signed up, there are a plethora of wonderful resources, activities, and more so be sure to explore the web site!

Do you remember the Book It! Program from your childhood? I want to hear about it in the comments! What books were you reading?

Josh Gunderson is an award-winning Bullying Prevention and Social Media Specialist. Josh has appeared on MTV, Comedy and National Geographic. For more information about Josh and his educational programs please visit www.HaveYouMetJosh.com

You can purchase Josh’s books “Cyberbullying: Perpetrators, Bystanders & Victims” and “You’re Doing It Wrong: A Mixtape Memoir” on Amazon! Available in paperback or for Kindle.