Kids will thank you for reading encouragement

It’s not every day a youngster can discover the magic of books, improve their reading skills and possibly win a trip to a Disney theme park — just every day this summer.

Since summer vacation of 2013, Gov. Susana Martinez has made it a priority to promote reading by children and prevent what she calls the “summer slide.”

“No matter what background they come from, reading is essential for kids to build the skills and confidence they need to succeed,” Martinez said in announcing this year’s program.

The 2016 New Mexico True Summer Reading Challenge, for kids ages 5 through 12, offers an impressive array of prizes, ranging from the all-expenses-paid trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, to the free use of a pontoon boat for a day at Elephant Butte Lake, and numerous cool offerings in between.

You might even win a hot air balloon ride with the governor and her husband, Chuck Franco.

All you have to do is read 12 books, record them in a reading log, write an essay about why you love New Mexico, and submit your entry by July 31.

New Mexico True brochures and reading logs were distributed to students at public schools, but are also available at all local libraries.

They can even be downloaded and printed from the Public Education Department’s website:

readingchallenge.ped.state.nm.us

Parents, be sure you tell your kids about the challenge and encourage them to participate.

They’ll thank you one of these days — maybe when you’re headed to Orlando.

— Albuquerque Journal