The 2010 Bookmans’ Reading Challenge is under way! This is the fourth year of the highly successful contest that was created to encourage literacy among school-age children in Arizona. Since 2007, Bookmans has awarded $30,000 to public and charter elementary schools throughout Arizona, the result of students reading over 665,000 books.

Last year’s winners, Sonoran Science Academy–Broadway in Tucson, Village Vista Elementary School in Phoenix, and The Peak School in Flagstaff, read a combined total of more than 37,000 books during the three-month contest. This year, the Bookmans’ Reading Challenge has been expanded to include all interested public and charter elementary schools in Tucson, Mesa, Phoenix and Flagstaff.

From January 6th through March 31st, 2010, students from each participating elementary school will compete to read as many books as they can. The school with the highest average number of books read per student in the state will win $15,000 to spend how they see fit. The 2nd and 3rd place schools will both receive a $1,000 Bookmans shopping spree for their school libraries.

Over 36,000 Arizona K-5 students will participate in the Bookmans’ Reading Challenge this year, involving 75 public and charter elementary schools. For a complete list of participating schools, click here.