On my desk are 15 signed copies of R.L. Stine's book, Dudes, The School is Haunted! It is Book 7 in his Rotten School series. Would you like one? Because I would love to give you one.

Send an email to word@weeklyreader.com. Put "Signed Stine" in the subject line. And tell us how much you love Mr. Stine's work. That's it! That's all you have to do! You'd better hurry though. Before someone else gets your book!

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Also, don't forget, we still have two signed copies of Julius Lester's Time's Memory to give away. Click here to see how you can get one!

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It really doesn't get any easier than this. FREE BOOKS! FREE BOOKS! FREE BOOKS! Who does that? And moreover, who gives away free books signed by the authors?? I'll tell you who...

WORD.

Webster's Dictionary defines "Wordwork" as:

n.  1. What WORD gives you for homework.
     2. Any of the rare species of underwater Gila Monster from ancient Atlantis.

Now, I don't think Webster's was necessarily right in either definition. First, because "homework" sounds like work... and Wordwork is more like... well, fun! Second, because I don't think Atlantis ever had Gila Monsters. And last, because Webster's never actually defined "Wordwork". That was a dirty, filthy lie on my part. Sorry. I was jut trying to set something up. And here it is...

Your Wordwork for this week: listen to your favorite song no less than 4 times. You can either listen to it back to back to back to back... or you can space it out over 4 days. The point being that you listen intently and (this part is important) whatever you do, do not sing along! Yes, I know you want to, and it is hard to resist. Take it easy, rock star. There is a reason to your devoted silence.

Listen carefully to your song. More carefully than you ever have before. And then, when you've heard something new (and you will), write about it. And then send your writing to us at word@weeklyreader.com. Write "Wordwork #1" in the subject line. We'll post the most thoughtful writings here. You have absolutely nothing to lose and so much more insight into your favorite song to gain. Best of luck.

Since 1926, when it was founded by the African American scholar Carter G. Woodson, Black History Month has been commemorated every February. All month long, ceremonies, readings, and celebrations will focus on the contributions of black people throughout American history.

Carter Woodson’s choice of February was not arbitrary. The shortest month of the year marks the birthdays of two men who had a profound influence on African Americans and the abolitionist movement—Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, the author of the autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written By Himself.

February has many more significant connections to black history—birthdays, legislation, and historical events. Can you name five? Take up our webquest challenge and send your answers to writing@weeklyreader.com before February 20 for a chance to win one of two autographed copies of National Award finalist Julius Lester's Time’s Memory. 

In this gripping novel about the slave experience, Amma, the creator god, sends a young man to a plantation in Virginia. There, he becomes a slave on the eve of the Civil War and tries to find a way to bring peace to both the dead and the living.[Read an excerpt from Time's Memory.] 

In the prologue of this novel, Lester writes, "Our lives do not begin when we are born. Only our bodies do. Our lives begin so long ago that only Time remembers when and where, and most important, why." If you ask me, this sentence is a fitting tribute to Black History Month - it reminds us that the stories of our lives are not just our stories; they are also the stories of our ancestors and their life experiences; and, those of the ancestors before them. Deep thought. In West Africa, where the slave trade began, there's a word for this: Sankofa. It means "looking back to go forward."   ... 

OK, so this is a book worth reading and ... winning. Get your thinking cap on and start your research. What other important historical events in February are connected to Black History Month? I look forward to receiving your answers!

I don't know if that title was specific enough. This post could be about anything. OK, well I guess I won't keep you in suspense any longer. 

The final Harry Potter book is coming out on July 21, 2007. Yayyyyyy!!!!!!!

Click the book to pre-order your copy today!