In recognition of National Young Readers Week Nov. 9-13, The BOOK IT! Program continued its tradition of challenging principals across the United States to be examples for literacy and BOOK IT! by choosing one day to read, all day long, from first bell to last during National Young Readers Week.

This year Brownwood Intermediate School Principal, Charles Chesser, became the Wizard of Reading throughout the day, Tuesday, November 10th.

“There was ‘The Yellow Book Road’ to guide our munchkins and others to the Emerald City to be a part of his most powerful stories,” explained librarian, Carol Gilbreth. “All our Reading teachers and others created their own adventurous reading characters to follow the Yellow Book Road to the magical land of Brownwood Intermediate’s OZ.”

The Principal Challenge is part of Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Program’s National Young Readers Week celebration November 9-13 that is an annual event co-founded by Pizza Hut and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.  One lucky elementary school principal will win 101 copies for their library of the tenth book in the Wimpy Kid series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School which releases on November 3rd.   Jeff Kinney, author of the Wimpy Kid books, will personally autograph one of the books for the principal who read their heart out.

The purpose of the program is to raise awareness of the importance of literacy and generate a passion for reading among young people. In addition to the Principal Challenge, students and families can also watch a new story each day during National Young Readers Week compliments of BOOK IT! and One More Story, an online library of the best classic and contemporary children’s books.

Additional photos from Brownwood Intermediate’s OZ can be viewed online at: