Jill Whitson, a YALSA member, speaks to Thiruchelvan Selvanayagam about what it’s like to have your library sponsor a WrestleMania Reading Challenge finalist and encourage a reluctant teen to start reading. Jill’s student designed a bookmark that earned him a spot in the WrestleMania Challenge finals. He didn’t win, but he did get to attend WrestleMania XXV and Jill won $2,000 for her library’s teen and tween collection.

The WrestleMania Reading Challenge, sponsored by YALSA and World Wrestling Entertainment, is a program designed to encourage teens and tweens to continue their reading beyond Teen Read Week; by doing so, they can win prizes donated by WWE.

Want to register for the 2009-2010 WrestleMania Reading Challenge? Sign up through Teen Read Week registration by this Friday and you could relive the experience Jill describes in this podcast.

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