HISD’s summer reading program just got a lot more competitive.

The district’s corporate partner, myON, has announced that it will be extending students’ access to its online library through Aug. 31 and offering prizes to students who read the largest number of books and/or spend the most time reading there. HISD joined forces with the company earlier this year to expand students’ access to age-appropriate reading materials.

HISD students who place in one of the following four categories will receive a free mini home library from Capstone:

• Top three elementary readers (# of books read)
• Top three elementary readers (time spent reading)
• Top three middle school readers (# of books read)
• Top three middle school readers (time spent reading)

Districtwide, the top three readers (# of books read) will also receive a free 8-inch Android tablet with a carrying case, preloaded with the myON offline reading app.

By July 14, more than 10,300 HISD students had read at least one book using the myON site, with more than 4,400 already hitting the district’s target of five books before classes resume on Aug. 25. More than 3,800 of those had even exceeded that goal, with six or more books to their credit.

The one to beat for the district’s top prize is Deborah Weldemichael, a rising third-grader at Lovett Elementary School, who had already read 218 books and spent almost 53 hours reading by mid-July. That breaks down to more than eight hours per week, starting with the first week of June.

Learn more about the district’s summer reading program here.