posted by A.Alba

First Book LogoIf Season 3 of American Idol proved anything, it’s that the people of Hawaii can band together and show the strength, support and unity of `ohana that only our state can do.  Jasmine Trias probably wasn’t considered one of the top three Idol contestants that year, but because of the passionate support we place behind one of our own, she was able to surpass the nation’s expectations and nearly make it to the finale.

Now, Hawaii Book Blog asks our fellow readers from Hawaii for their support on something that can really benefit our keiki.  First Book has a website set up where they ask you the question, “What book got you hooked?”  They are soliciting memories of the first book that really made you enjoy reading.  As a part of this question, they are also asking you to vote for which state you would like 50,000 new books to go for children in need.  Given the recent state budget crisis that has affected our schools, public libraries and other educational programs, this could be a great gift we can give to our children.  Here are some important things to remember:

  • It’s really simple, there are no other required fields except which state you want the books to go to.  Just select Hawaii from the drop-down menu, uncheck the box about receiving news (unless you want to) and submit your vote!
  • You can vote once every 24 hours. So make sure you visit every day.  We will try to RT this on Twitter on a daily basis to remind everyone.  Please follow us at @hawaiibookblog so you won’t forget.
  • Voting closes on September 30, 2009 at midnight.  You have everyday until then to help push Hawaii over the top.

When I first checked this out a couple weeks ago, Hawaii was way down at #45 and I figured we didn’t have a chance against some of the more populous states.  But when I checked again yesterday I saw that Hawaii had moved all the way up to #6!  I could hardly contain my pride seeing how high we climbed.  This told me that if each of us spread the word throughout the state, we can show the rest of the country the power of our Aloha spirit and provide our children with the gift of literacy.  If you’ve read this entire post, please visit the site below and show your support!

First Book – What Book Got You Hooked?