(upbeat music) - PBS Kids Utah kicks off its reading marathon with a free pajama party at the Salt Lake City Main Library.

Annie Frazier shares how kids can join and earn an Adventure Pass by reading 600 minutes in November.

Hey, Annie, welcome back.

Look at you in your pajamas.

- Thank you.

In my pajamas.

- To get people in the mood.

You brought your favorite blankie, I see.

- Yes.

My stuffed animals.

(Mary laughing) - Your stuffed animals.

- Yes.

- And a book you can read.

- Mm-hmm.

- (chuckling) Okay, so tell us more about the kickoff party.

- So we're gonna have a big party down at the downtown Main Library.

Wear pajamas, bring a stuffy.

We're gonna have lots of fun, different activities, and we're gonna get excited to read 600 minutes in November.

- All right.

So November is when it goes, November 1st through 30th.

- Yep.

- Okay.

What grades are the kids who read?

- It is for children in preschool through sixth grade, so three-ish to to 12-ish.

- Oh, wow, all right.

All right.

Okay, and they just have to read 600 minutes.

- 600 minutes, about 20 minutes a day.

If it's a non-reader, they can have a parent read to them or a sibling even.

They can read to a dog, they can read in any language.

We just wanna get kids excited about reading.

- Aw, that's great.

And then how do they track their reading and turn it in?

- They can download a reading log, and then they come back to our website in December and submit their minutes, and then an Adventure Pass gets emailed to them.

- Okay, and what's on that Adventure Pass?

Let's, like, really tantalize them.

- The Adventure Pass has a lot of different fun coupons and tickets, so kids can go to the zoo or to Red Butte.

And we've added a few new partners this year, so we're excited.

- Oh, this is great.

And talk more about why it's so important that kids read.

- You know, reading is so essential, and hearing words, especially in those first five years as the brain is developing.

It's also, we're excited about the theme of Read and Dream, 'cause we wanna be excited about our future and all of the adventures that reading can take us.

- Ah, wonderful.

Annie, thank you for being here.

And thanks for- - Thank you.

- Bringing your friends and wearing pajamas.

(chuckling) - Snuggle up.

Thank you.

- And if you'd like to know more about the Reading Marathon Kickoff Party, it's October 25th from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Salt Lake City Public Library.

Go to pbsutah.org/reading.

That's pbsutah.org/reading.

(upbeat music) I'm Mary Dickson.

Thanks for watching "Contact."

(upbeat music continues) - Local events, arts, culture.

It's what brings us together.

Hi, I'm Mary Dickson.

Here on Contact, we introduce you to local events and organizations that serve your neighborhood.

If you work for a nonprofit and would like to appear on our show, please visit pbsutah.org/contact.