Library pays teens to read and review YA novels

MILLERTON — In an attempt to get more young readers involved in the library, the NorthEast-Millerton Library is running a “Read for Green” program, which pays teens to review new young adult (YA) books.The program is open to people between the ages of 11 and 18 who live in the Millerton area.Teens signed up with the program check out the new YA books available at the library, then after they finish reading the book, they must write a review before earning the “green.” Reviewers will earn $5 per book review.The reviews are posted on the Read for Green blog at www.readforgreen.wordpress.com so other teens can discover new well-written books with stories that are interesting and engaging for teen readers.The blog also includes a list of books that are eligible for the program. The titles cover all major genres, including fiction, non-fiction, biography and graphic novels.“I developed the program based on what I thought would interest teens,” said Sarah Bellora, the youth services coordinator for the library. “[Teens were] the one group I didn’t have a [summer] program for and thought this would be new and exciting for them to try.“I really wanted to integrate technology into a program and thought a blog was a great way to do this,” she added. “[Participants] get to experience wonderful books, develop and express their own thoughts and impressions of a book and share them with the library community. It gives them a voice in our library.”Bellora originally created the program just for the NorthEast-Millerton Library, but other libraries have heard of the program and have started their own.A meeting will be held at the NorthEast-Millerton Library on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 11 a.m. to explain the ins and outs of the program and to encourage more teen readers to sign up.Participants can sign up anytime at the NorthEast-Millerton Library, which is located at 75 Main St. in Millerton. The library is open from Tuesday to Sunday. For more information, call the library at 518-789-3340.

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