Book It! Under Fire.

I was definitely a Book It! kid in elementary school.  Big fan.  Reading = Pizza?  OF COURSE I WAS EXCITED!   I remember going to Pizza Hut to get my personal pan pizza with my mom and dad every few weeks.

I had all but forgotten about Book It! until I saw it under fire recently in the news.  Dietitians and child development experts are finally renouncing the program as unhealthy, claiming (among other things) that rewarding kids with food for their academic performance is ultimately damaging. 

Teaching and encouraging kids to read is important.  No brainer.  With childhood obesity on the rise, I certainly understand the negative impact Book It! could have upon kids.  (Now that I think about it, I could also imagine if I was rewarded with pizza for all the hours I have spent reading pages of books in my college and seminary career...I imagine that I could weigh significantly more than I do now.  Yikes.)

Any of you Book It! alumni like I am?  Any of you teachers or parents have thoughts?

Comments

[kyledawn]

i loved book it! i can't say that i ever thought it was a negative way to reinforce good behavior. i mean, nerds have to eat too. and, if parents use it as a treat, then kids can understand that pizza isn't something you should partake of on a normal basis. i don't know ... i can also see that sitting around all day reading books and then going to get pizza does inhibit the time for physical activity. are there other, better ways to reward bookreaders?

[jaime]

book it! = by far my most cherished memory of elementary school. i used to read 3 books at a time trying to earn as much as i could. if they get rid of that program, i may just have to reincarnate it in my own household so my kids can experience the wonderous connection that is books and pizza...maybe they should just switch it to thin crust pizza instead of pan...

[Tiffany Chapman]

Dude, I was totally a boot it kid too!! haha I used to have so many of those buttons with the stickers on them! yeah they were so cool. who cares if it is unhealthy. Pizza Hut pizza was a real treat back then! wo hoo.