When you think of a dragon, you usually think of a huge fire-breathing, lizard-like creature that flies. Those wouldn’t necessarily be welcome in a building filled with highly flammable paper.
However, there is a kind of dragon that is welcome and is being encouraged this fall at Seward Memorial Library – a reading dragon.
These creatures are represented on playing cards that readers age 5-17 can collect. Readers collect the four stages of each creature – baby, young, teen and adult – based on reading time, librarian Jacquelyn Schranz said.
Schranz is helping coordinate the dragons at the library. Each reader receives a starter pack of a dozen cards and can earn more cards by reading. Every two hours of reading time results in a new card for the creature of the month.
Schranz said time spent listening to audio books or being read aloud to counts toward the total. Books do not need to have dragons in them to count, she said.
To collect the cards, however, a parent needs to sign off on the time read, Schranz said.
Schranz said everyone on the library staff knows about the reading trackers and how to check them. Readers can’t read ahead, counting time for March in December, for example, but they can catch up on past months.
The library will host battles where readers can bring their cards and play a game similar to War. Each dragon is assigned an element – fire, leaf or water, and one element trumps another. Fire beats water, for example. If the elements tie, the older dragon wins (adult would beat teen). Cards are returned to their owners at the end of the battle, Schranz said.
The original reading dragon program started in Dover, Ohio. Schranz said Library Director Becky Baker shared a link to the program with the staff, and she and a couple others were excited to take it on. Schranz is a card collector herself, so the program appealed to her.
The program officially kicked off in Seward Aug. 23 with 43 young readers signing up. During the dragon adoption event, readers made special bags in which to store and carry the cards.
Schranz designed the cards, and her husband printed them.
To receive the starter pack, readers had to read a book with a dragon in it. Schranz said she had set aside some books for people to read that morning.
She is planning special cards and regular events throughout the program, which goes from September to April. So, for example, on the first battle date (Saturday, Sept. 13, starting at 9:30 a.m.), those attending will receive a card unique to that day.
“I hope the kids look forward to it,” Schranz said.
The program will end in April to make way for the summer reading program, and the 2025 cards will be retired at the end of that month.
Find out more at www.sewardlibrary.org, click on “Reading Dragons.”
