St. Mary School wins book contest

An essay submitted by the librarian at St. Mary School in Bellevue won the 2017 Dav Pilkey Summer Reading Educator Contest in Nebraska – and 500 new books is the prize.

The essay from librarian Jenny Schafer highlighted the school’s ethnic, social and economic diversity and the need to get books to those who might not otherwise have the means.

The books will build the school’s library, kick off its summer reading program and allow each student to keep a book.

More than 6,000 educators across the country entered the contest, part of the 2017 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. Entrants responded to the statement, "Tell us about your school and the need for new books to help your students keep reading over the summer."

Pilkey, author of children’s books including the Captain Underpants and Dog Man series, is the global ambassador for Scholastic’s summer reading program. He, along with Scholastic, a publisher of children’s books and educational materials, launched the national contest to help provide books for students.