Encouraging children to read

To encourage literacy among kids who'd rather play with smart devices than read, the libraries in Los Angeles County, California, no longer charge late fees for readers under the age of 21. And children are automatically signed up for library cards by their school. But what about kids who have a pre-existing late fee balance? How can they pay it back?  By reading!

Children can go to their local library and request to pay off their late fees. The librarian will start a timer, and for every hour the youngster reads $5 will be taken off their debt. According to the Los Angeles Times, at least 100 students have read away their debt. This debt relief can also be used for paying off lost or damaged books. So far, 15,000 kids have used their new library cards. Every hour spent reading is also an hour spent not playing video games. So it's a win-win.