Inspired by reading challenges offered by many public libraries but limited to people in those specific communities, GSHE is organizing a 2023 Reading Challenge for NH’s homeschool community!
It is just for fun, to help young readers explore new authors, subjects, and genres. Our monthly challenges are very broad so families may choose whatever book they wish and feel is appropriate for their children.
We announce each challenge in our monthly newsletters – they usually go out around the 13th or so. Sign up for our newsletter at our website; there is a box in the right-hand column that says “join today” and pop-up boxes to register. If you have any difficulty, email us at info@GraniteStateHomeEducators.org and we will register you.
Participants are not required to complete book reports, give oral presentations, or any formal project, and families are free to incorporate our reading challenge into their child’s learning as they see fit. We have a simple 2023 GSHE Reading Challenge log that families may print out to keep track of their child’s participation. It can be part of your child’s homeschool portfolio!
PARTICIPATION RULES
Parents/guardians may send GSHE one submission per month per child – include the child’s name and age along with what book he/she read. Email us at info@GraniteStateHomeEducators.org with “Reading Challenge” in the subject line so we can more easily keep track of everything. Submissions are due before the next month’s challenge is announced.
Each month’s participation is another chance to win! For example, if your child reads something each month, that is 12 opportunities to win one of our prizes. If a child participates in six of the monthly challenges, that is six chances to win.
For kids that are not reading independently, audio books and books you read together are perfectly fine. Any reading ability is welcome to participate.
To help motivate kids to participate, we would love to have photos to go along with the monthly submissions that we can use in our monthly newsletters.
At the end of the year, we will award $25 Amazon gift cards to FOUR lucky winners!
Let’s get started!!
For February, it’s a two-part challenge! Read a book that is a play or has been adapted to a play or movie, and then watch the show.
This is a great opportunity for extra fun! Consider hosting a group book/movie day as a meet-up at a local library or your home; it’s a great excuse to meet people and make new friends. Yes, I partially stole this idea from some moms who are doing this for teens in Hooksett every month.
There are several theater productions coming up, so maybe you would like to select one of those shows and read the book before the performance. See the list we collected at the end of this article.
This also sets up an interesting discussion to compare and contrast the book and movie or show because there can be great differences in how the story is portrayed.
Hope you enjoy this month’s challenge!
Suggestions for Plays and Shows
Annie
Antigone
Beauty and the Beast
Cats
Fiddler on the Roof
Into the Woods
Les Miserables
Little Shop of Horrors
Little Women
Lord of the Rings trilogy
Mary Poppins
Narnia series
Our Town
Phantom of the Opera
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Misanthrope
The Wizard of Oz
Twelve Angry Men
Waiting for Godot
West Side Story
Wicked
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
anything by Arthur Miller
anything by Shakespeare
Upcoming Theater Productions
Little Women February 17 Central High School, Manchester
Beauty and the Beast February 19 Souhegan High School, Amherst
“Grease – School Version” February 23 – 25 Scenic Theatre, Pittsfield
Little Women March 3 – 19 Palace Theatre, Manchester
Once Upon a Mattress, Youth Edition March 17 – 26 Peacock Players, Nashua
Moana, Jr April 14 – 22 Majestic Theatre, Conway
Theatre Companies – Opportunities to watch or perform
Arts in Motion Theatre Company, Conway
Concord Youth Theatre, Concord
Majestic Theatre, Derry and Manchester