Ice cream is incentive for young Warroad readers

In the summer of 1995, I worked a three month internship at The Warroad Pioneer, which I'm sorry to say has since ceased operation. This was the first professional newspaper that I worked for in my career, and it turned out to be a wonderful experience. I had only worked at Bemidji State University's newspaper for about a year and half before landing the internship. At The Pioneer I gained experience in sports, feature, beat and government reporting. I designed pages, took and developed photographs and was responsible for community relations. The best part is that I remain friends with the owners nearly 30 years later.

June 13, 1995

By Devlyn Brooks

Warroad children now have another reason to visit the library: ice cream.

The Warroad Public Library, in cooperation with the local Dairy Queen, are rewarding kids for reading. At the library, the kids can pick up a coupon that will entitle them to one, free Dilly Bar at Dairy Queen.

All the kids need to do to receive the coupon is read 10 books that are designated for their age, and they will receive a punch on the card for each book. Children who are just listening to other children read the book aloud will also receive a punch on their card for that book.

"It is a motivator," Head Librarian Barbara Larson said. "It is important that children read when they are growing up.

"Educators believe that reading to kids when they are young helps them later when they are in school."

Larson said that the library has been running the program for about four years, and it quickly became a success. "We gave out more than 500 cards last summer," she said. "This year, we ordered more than 1,000 cards."

"I guess it is a success," said Beck Hontvet, owner of Dairy Queen. "A lot of people take advantage of it."

Bonnie Palmquist, whose children have used the program for two or three years, said, "The kids to a lot more reading this way. If the kids get bored, we go to the library."

Palmquist's children received their 10 punches in a day and a half one time.

Another user of the program, Dannelle Milne, filled out 12 cards last year. That is a 120 books' worth. This year, she said she is shooting for 16 cards.

The rules to receive a card are simple. For every book of the child's reading level read or listened to, the child receives one punch. After 10 punches the coupon is good for one, free Dilly Bar at Dairy Queen. Larson said that the offer is good only from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and is directed at "younger" children only. There is no limit to the number of cards a kid can ear.

"It's a fantastic thing," Larson said. "It brings kids into the library. We go through them like crazy."