105 Ways to Give a Book

Fifth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge

48 Hour Book ChallengeHere we are with the Fifth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge — that weekend extravaganza that lets you say, “Yeah, I’m reading that weekend.” Sign up in the comments today, and talk it up on your blog. Let’s do this thing!
  1. The weekend is June 4–6, 2010. Read and blog for any 48-hour period within the Friday-to-Monday-morning window. Start no sooner than 7:00 a.m. on Friday the fourth and end no later than 7:00 a.m. Monday the seventh. So, go from 7:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday... or maybe 7:00 a.m. Saturday to 7:00 a.m. Monday works better for you. But the 48 hours do need to be in a row. That said, during that 48-hour period you may still have gaps of time in which you can’t read, and that’s fine. (In the middle of the three different challenge weekends I’ve had to go to work, attend a ballet recital, and drive for a Girl Scout event.)
  2. The books should be about fifth-grade level and up. Adult books are fine, especially if adult book bloggers want to play. If you are generally a picture book blogger, consider this a good time to get caught up on all those wonderful books you’ve been hearing about. Graphic novels can be included in the reading. One audiobook can also be included in your time and book total.
  3. The top three winners will be based only on time commitment, not number of books. So if you are heading into the 30+ hours club or 40+ hours club, track your time carefully. International winners may be given gift cards instead books due to mailing costs, unless a U.S. address is provided.
  4. It’s your call as to how much you want to put into it. If you want to skip sleep and showers to do this — and some people do — go for it. If you want to be a bit more laid back, fine. But you have to put something into it or it’s not a challenge. Twelve hours is the benchmark for winning prizes.
  5. The length of the reviews or notes written in your blog are not an issue. You can write a sentence, a paragraph, or a full-length review. Up to you. The time spent reviewing counts in your total time.
  6. New last year: You can include some amount of time reading other participant’s blogs, commenting on participating blogs and Facebook pages, and Twittering about your progress (remember the #48hbc tag!). For every five hours, you can add one hour of networking. This time counts in your total time.
  7. On your blog, state when you are starting the challenge with a specific entry on that day and leave the link to that post at the Starting Line post at MotherReader on June 4th (via the trusty Mr. Linky).
  8. When you finish, write a final summary that clearly indicates hours — including partial hours — you spent reading/reviewing/networking, the number of books read, and any other comments you want to make on the experience. It needs to be posted no later than noon EST on Monday, June 7th. Also, check in at the Finish Line post on MotherReader that will be posted Sunday and please link to that post from your final summary post.
Last year we began to connect the 48HBC to charitable causes, and folks were able to connect their personal readathon to a Greater Good of their choice. While you may continue to select your own charity, I’m going to suggest supporting book and literacy projects through Donors Choose, a great resource that connects teachers in need of supplies to donors with funds to give. For myself, I plan to donate $1 per hour read to this DC school and welcome others — perhaps those not able to do the challenge this year — to sponsor me. Other participants can contribute to this cause and even this school as well, or to something else that moves you. Your readathon can be based on sponsors, comments, books read, or something else entirely. You can also choose not to participate in this aspect of the 48 Hour Book Challenge, though you may find a way to support others’ efforts by leaving comments (if that’s what is being tallied).

Oh, and I’m looking for donations for winners’ prize packages and other “door prizes” to be awarded to participants selected at random. Past prizes have included original sketches from Mo Willems and Matthew Holm, signed and sketched books from Adam Rex, loads of signed books, t-shirts from Threadless, artistic blank journals, jewelry, gift cards, notecards, and more. Good stuff. If you’d like to contribute to the prizes this year, shoot me an email at MotherReader AT gmail DOT com.

Sign up now in the comments and block of the dates on your calendar. Questions can also go in the comments, and I will respond in the comments and, if needed, with clarification in the final rules. Good luck, have fun, and happy reading!

97 comments:

Lee Wind, M.Ed. said...

WOW - what a cool event! I love the idea of tying it in to help a cause (like literacy!)
MotherReader, you ROCK!
Thanks for creating this for our community, I'll start getting word out on my networks...
Namaste and a Hug,
Lee

Becky said...

I will definitely be participating again! I love, love, love this challenge!

Kristin said...

My favorite time of the year! I will be participating again. Thanks always for running this challenge.

Karen said...

I'm planning to join in. I love an excuse to tell my family I'm reading all day!

Tarie Sabido said...

I'm in! This will be my first time and I am a little nervous. LOL!

Peaceful Reader said...

I need one of these to happen in the middle of summer when I am not in school!!

Melissa said...

I'm SO in. I've been working up my reading list for the past month in anticipation... :-D

Anonymous said...

Love itAND I think I can actually participate that weekend!! Woot!

Madigan Mirza said...

Wow, has it really been five years?

I do believe I'll have to try it!

Jennie said...

Like I would dream of missing it! Work might not make me as hardcore as past years so I'm off to sacrifice to the scheduling gods and goddesses...

Abby said...

I wouldn't miss it!

Eva M said...

I'm with you all the way! (I just hope it's a gorgeous weekend so I can read at the beach)
Eva M

Jojo said...

Hello, I want to sign up for the 48hour reading challenge!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I am so in! I love this challenge, a perfect excuse to spend an entire two days reading. There is no better way to kick off summer reading!

Margo T said...

I'm in! Finally, a sport I can be competitive in--reading! and I'm planning on starting my own blog (in design and thinking phase right now), so this will be great for giving me a deadline to get my blog up before your challenge!

Anonymous said...

I borrowed all the rules and such to post and advertise on both blogs.

Anonymous said...

Wow! This looks fantastic!

Good luck everyone!

Litland.com said...

I am new to kidslitosphere and have not participated in your challenge previously. This is a neat idea! Curiouis as to where bloggers are putting their small kids while doing all this reading (LOL)!
Debra

Lawral the Librarian said...

YAY! I may have an out-of-town guest that weekend, but he can fend for himself while I read. :)

Sharon H said...

I'm in. I had so much fun last year ... and I don't have to work that weekend.

Shelley said...

My kid and I are planning to join in! I've already gotten a few books from the library for the event. And will probably get many more!

Bibliovore said...

I'm in! Now to pick a theme and a charity . . . choices, choices!

CindyD said...

I'm not going to officially participate (I know I won't have that much time to read and I don't blog anymore) but I do have a list of YA books that I plan to read that week and I will be checking on how everyone is doing.

Ms. Yingling said...

I have cleared my schedule and am ready to GO! My family knows that they are on their own this weekend, although I've learned to do some walking while reading so I don't get woozy from lack of physical activity!Thanks for setting this up.

brnh said...

I've wanted to join the 48hour Book Challenge for the past three years! I'm roping it off now. Bonus: our Summer Reading Program has an adult component and starts June 1st.

Miss Pippi said...

Thank you for putting together another great reading event! Best wishes to you and all your participants!

Liz B said...

I'm in!

LibraryEtchison said...

I'm doing it! This is my first year (today is the first time I've heard of it), and I can't wait to have a reason to read all weekend.

Amy said...

I did this last year for the first time and I am definitly doing it again this year. Count me in! :D

DonorsChoose.org said...

Count us in, too! :) We can probably rustle up a couple prizes to contribute as well. SO EXCITED!

Julie said...

I'm signing up! Thanks! http://readerscarousel.blogspot.com/2010/05/fifth-annual-48-hour-book-challenge.html

Unknown said...

Count me in! I'm looking forward to it. I've had so much fun in past years, and it's always a great opportunity to catch up on my TBR! Thanks so much for organizing this again.

BookMoot said...

AS FAR AS I KNOW, we are not graduating, moving, vacationing, visiting, major household renovating, major/minor surgery scheduling nor babysitting that weekend. Now having said that I am sure DISASTER will strike BUT for now, I PLAN to participate, FULLY, without distractions, interruptions, explosions or dislocations. I've just doomed myself, haven't I?

Jan von Harz said...

Count me in. Perfect start to my summer of reading, and no other commitments that weekend it is perfect. Going off to post about it right now.

:paula said...

GONNA DO IT this time FINALLY. Nobody's getting potty trained, the house is not under construction, we're not going anywhere that weekend... I'm telling the family NOW to prepare to leave me alone while I sit under the willow tree and read. Thank you!

melissa @ 1lbr said...

I think I'll go for the plunge and sign up. I think I can hack out at least 12 hours :)

Karen said...

I can't wait. This is absolutely one of my favorite things to do! Starting my pile of books now. :)

Carol H Rasco said...

Alas, after having SO much fun last year and having thought of ways to involve the RIF staff even more this year, I cannot participate due to family and work related business hitting on these dates. BUT, I will be a cheerleader for sure, lurking throughout the three days when I can pull free to visit the various participants! I'll write you this weekend about some RIF prizes, too! I am trying hard to figure out how to serve warm chocolate chip cookies through the internet...sigh.........

Beth Swantz said...

This sounds like an amazing opportunity - but I'm still teaching...so I'll be with you in spirit! Maybe next year!

Anonymous said...

I want to play! What a great way to start the summer!

Thanks!

Donna

Buffy said...

Yippee! I"m in. I just did Dewey's read-a-thon and it was great.

As it was my first one, I didn't do it for charity, but I'd like to figure out how to do that this time!

Bill said...

I'm in! Friday, June 4 is the last day with kids at school. A nice breakfast and trip to Cover to Cover with my Central Ohio Blogger friends sounds just right!

Literature Crazy said...

I'm up for it again. I signed up last year with good intentions, but didn't get too many hours logged. Onward and upward this year.

Anonymous said...

I'm very excited about this! Yeah!

Unknown said...

I'm excited to participate this year! Hoping to read quite a few books over the course of the event.

YAY!

Iron Guy Carl said...

I'd like to join in too. I've never tried it before, so this will be fun.
Carl at Boys Rule! Boys Read!
http://jaja-cas.blogspot.com

Jennifer said...

I'm on ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee, and couldn't think of a more pertinent challenge. My to-read stack covers several bookshelves, so.... I'm in!

babyiwasborntoread.blogspot.com

Kelly said...

I'll try. :) I work weekends so my totals probably won't be that impressive, but I'm a total joiner. :)

Little Willow said...

Not sure that I can this year, as I'm not sure yet what my schedule will be that weekend. Please, someone, remind me the week before, okay?

Kathleen said...

I'm a little confused since it says you can go till 7am Monday the 6th but the 6th is Sunday.

Anonymous said...

With my son out for his senior class day and his senior prom, I should actually have time this year since my taxi service will be down. Can't wait.

Amanda said...

Can't wait :) I'll definitely be reading again and will be picking a charity to support as well. Last year was First Book and that worked out great!

Charlotte said...

I am so in!!!! Thanks, Pam!

Anonymous said...

I'm a first-timer and so excited about it! Thanks for hosting!

Bill said...

Just to be clear (and I'm chiming in since MR is away for the weekend), the final completion time should be 7:00 am Monday the seventh, not the sixth. (You can pick any continuous 48 hour period from 7:00 a.m. on Friday through 7:00 a.m. Monday.)

I've corrected the original post with the correct date for Monday.

lisa (the little reader) said...

i'm in! i participated in the 24 hour readathon earlier this year and had so much fun that i've been itching to do it again. 48 hours is twice the fun, right?

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

I'd love to join!

I'm thinking about prizes....I'll give this a little more thought.

ShadowsTomes said...

Woot! I'm in! I love this sort of thing!

LiteracyDocent said...

Okay...count me in! I have been wanting to do one of these for the last few years. It will be my first time participating so a little nervous but excited at the same time! Looking forward to making a dent in my TBR pile!

Lauren said...

I love this! I am definitely going to give this a try!

Liyana said...

I will definitely be participating again this year. Now gonna find good causes to give to. ;)

Sondy said...

Yippee! I was hoping to have an excuse to drop everything and read. Definitely count me in. It will feel good to take a break from job applications for one weekend.

Amy said...

I love the idea and definitely want to participate!

Anonymous said...

I'm so excited to participate in my first 48HBC!! Better start stretching now...

Anonymous said...

I'm in

Sarah said...

I'm going to do this! Coworkers have done it before and had a lot of fun. :)

Mystee said...

Count me in...sounds great

Unknown said...

Almost missed this! I'm in!

Jodie said...

OK I think I'm signing up this year. Yay!

Tarie Sabido said...

Oh, crapola. I can't join this year after all. :o( :o( :o( But I'll follow everyone else's progress!

Reading Countess said...

How cool! Thanks to The Reading Zone, I found out about this. It might be perfect timing since that's the first weekend of my summer vacation!

Mama Librarian said...

I will be reading/blogging in support of the Little Lake Free School, a new democratic school opening in Ann Arbor this fall. They need all the help they can get, if anyone wants to join me in supporting them!!

Anonymous said...

I just found out about this challenge and think it is great. I need to read books for my job in a library next year. I look forward to this challenge.

detweilermom said...

Count me in!!

Library Gal @Lost in the Library said...

I'm totally in, looking forward to being a part of it!

Danielle said...

I'm in, and very excited!

Susan said...

I had a great time last year and so will be trying again...have a feeling I still won't make it past 10:30 or 11 at night, but fun to try.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like fun...just one question, I cannot link my blog until June, correct?

N (from up in Canada)

Ama said...

Sounds great! I can't wait to participate this year. :D

Buffy said...

http://situationswhereyoumayneedit.blogspot.com/2010/05/looking-forward-to-48-hour-book.html

just posted some more about it! Thanks again for this great idea!

Nicole Crawford said...

What a perfect way to jump into all the summer reading I brought home!

Paulina said...

I'm in! I did this last year and enjoyed it very much. This year, my 11-year-old daughter will be joining me (unofficially). We've both got a stack of books read to go.

Becky said...

I love this event, so count me in!

I'm not sure when I'll join in yet, but I have my initial post up about the event. Thanks!

Lady S. said...

Wasn't sure I'd be able to do it this year, but looks good now. Hurrah! This is a high point of the year for me.

Books Like Breathing said...

I am definitely going to do this! I think of it as an early birthday present. I am going to aim for Friday at 10am to Monday at 10am. I figure I just bought a crate of Red Bull from Costco so why not?

Grace

Gaby317 said...

I think I tried to do this last year but got overwhelmed. I'd like to give it a shot again. If I keep my head about me, it should be great fun!

Thank you for organizing this.

Gaby317 said...

Thanks for doing this! I've started to spread the word:

http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/2010/05/throwing-gauntlet-48-hour-book.html

Kathy Erskine said...

Count me in!

Sandra Stiles said...

Looking forward to this again. This was the very first reading challenge I ever participated in, and I started last year. Thanks

Kristen said...

Sign me up! This sounds great!

:-D I will blog about it tonight or tomorrow.

I'm super excited!

Eric Carpenter said...

going to give it a try this year. been stacking up books all week.

Anonymous said...

It sounds great, I think I'll join in, but I have 2 questions: The time we write reviews, is that included in the reading time (while reading other people's blogs is networking time)?

Also, it's a real book-weekend for me as my book discussion group meets on Friday night, and a nearby bookshop hosts an interview with author David Mitchell on Sunday. Do my hours spend there count for something? :-)

Whitney said...

My weekend is completely open. Count me in!

Michelle Stockard Miller said...

I'm in! I will not be able to do the entire 48 hours, but I'm going to do as much as I can. Awesome read-a-thon!

Zoe said...

I am so in! Thanks or hosting this read-a-thon!

Elsi said...

I didn't know about this event, so I wasn't able to get lined up to participate this year. But I'm bookmarking your blog and I *will* look for the schedule for next year and participate.

Library Gal @Lost in the Library said...

I'm in!!! Loved it last year!!