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Fifth Grader Reads Over 6000 pages in January 8, 2001 – Rachel Ermatinger, a fifth grader home schooled at the Olive Tree Academy in Holland, MI, read 45 books totaling more than 6000 pages to win the grand prize among the Grades 4-8 participants in the National Book Bonanza Contest, sponsored by the Sylvan Book Adventure Foundation. Rachel and her family will be traveling to Universal Orlando, Universals Studios’ theme park in Orlando, Florida for three days and four nights of fun. Rachel’s younger brother Daniel, a second grader, placed among the K-3 winners. He received a third place award of an “edutainment” fun pack of toys, games, markers and crayons, and other prizes. Rachel and Daniel are the children of Karl and Jean Ermatinger of Holland, MI. Rachel’s and Daniel’s accomplishments will be recognized January 11 at 4pm at the Herrick District Library (300 South River Avenue, Holland, MI.) A Book Adventure representative will present prizes to Rachel, Daniel and library guests. Media are invited to attend. Over 24,000 students across the continent participated in the Book Bonanza contest, reading more than 173,000 books from September 22 through November 10, 2000. Book Adventure is the free, online reading incentive program that rewards students (K-8) for their reading success. Book Bonanza is a contest sponsored by Book Adventure, in which the participants who read the most books at their grade level and earn perfect scores on the online quiz for each title are rewarded with trips and prizes. Prizes are awarded in two categories, grades K-3 and grades 4-8. “We are so impressed by Rachel and Daniel’s reading success. Their accomplishment is a shining example of what today’s children can achieve,” said Kelly Hodge-Williams, executive director of the Book Adventure Foundation. “We are proud to be able to provide such encouragement to this new generation of readers.” “I love to read,” said Rachel Ermatinger, “I had no idea that I would win, but I just kept trying to go as high as I could to see how many books I could read.” Grand prize contributors included Universal Studios, Delta Air, Hilton Hotels and Budget Rent A Car, and the Rainforest Café. Two second prize winners received a starter bookshelf with 50 books and eight third prize winners received an “edutainment fun pack” filled with games, crayons, and educational toys. Sponsors included Highsmith Inc., Patch Products, Crayola Products and the Lego Company. Based in Baltimore, MD, the non-profit Book Adventure initiative was created by the Sylvan Learning Foundation for students in the United States and Canada. Sponsors of the Book Adventure initiative include Sylvan Learning Center, R.R. Bowker, Barnes & Noble.com, and Houghton Mifflin. BookAdventure.org is a free online reading program that uses technology and incentives to motivate children (grades K-8) to read. Book Adventure currently has more than 380,000 registered users, with more than 50,000 classrooms using the site as a reading resource. Children have taken more than 1.67 million quizzes since the site was established in April 1999.To sign up for Book Adventure, students, parents and teachers can log onto the site at www.bookadventure.org. |
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