CHESTERTOWN — Stam’s Luncheonette is launching Stam’s Sweet Readers, a community-driven reading incentive program designed to foster a love of literacy among students in Kent County.
Inspired by the “BOOK IT!” program from Pizza Hut that was so popular during her childhood, Stam’s owner Brandywine White is working with Jenny Maloney, head of the Parent Advisory Council at H.H. Garnet Elementary School in Chestertown, to come up with innovative ways to increase family and community involvement.
For its inaugural year, the program is partnering with Garnet to reward students in grades 1 through 5 with the ultimate prize: ice cream.
“We’re thrilled to launch this program with Garnet and hopefully recreate a bit of the magic that I experienced with ‘BOOK IT!’ when I was a kid. We’re looking forward to working together to foster a love of reading in our community and support local students,” White said in a statement.
“We are so excited for Stam’s Sweet Readers,” Maloney said in a news release. “Brandywine is bringing back the excitement of the classic ‘BOOK IT!’ reading incentive. We hope to recreate that same sense of motivation to build consistent reading habits for our students — this time with support from our own local ice cream shop.”
More about the program is available on the Stam’s website at https://www.stamsluncheonette.com/sweet-readers.
While the program is starting at H.H. Garnet Elementary School for the 2025-2026 academic year, the organizers hope to expand the initiative to more schools in the future.
The program is being embraced by local officials.
“As someone who wasn’t a strong reader growing up, I know firsthand how much programs like ‘BOOK IT!’ and Stam’s Sweet Readers helped spark my interest in reading,” Chestertown Mayor Meghan Efland said in the news release.
Efland said little incentives and encouragement really added up, and now she’s a lifelong reader — both for fun and for work.
“That’s why I’m so excited to see a local business stepping up to support kids in our community the same way,” Efland said.
“A program like this can make reading feel fun and accessible, and it can give kids the confidence they need to stick with it,” she said. “It’s great to see a business not just serving the community, but investing in our kids’ futures. I’m really grateful Stam’s is taking this on, and I can’t wait to see the impact it makes.”
How it works
Each month, teachers at Garnet will set specific reading goals tailored to their individual classes. To track their progress, students will complete a book profile — a fun questionnaire about their favorite books — which parents will then verify.
Upon meeting their monthly goal, students receive a sticker for their “Sweet Readers” button and a certificate for a “Build Your Own Sundae Spectacular” at Stam’s Luncheonette.
Students who meet their goals consistently and fill all cones on their program button will be invited to a private VIP year-end ice cream party at Stam’s, located at 215 High St. in downtown Chestertown.
To keep the reading momentum going, Chestertown’s independent bookstore The Bookplate [112 S. Cross St.] is joining the celebration and keeping reading adventures going throughout the school year. Students who complete their monthly reading goals will be able to get a free book from The Bookplate [value up to $15] each month. If a student fills the entire button by the end of the year they will receive a $50 gift card to use in the bookstore.
The year-end VIP party aims to be a true community milestone. Organizers plan to invite the local civic and school leaders to recognize the students’ achievements.
Stam’s will be represented at Garnet Elementary School’s Wellness Night on Wednesday, Feb. 25 with more information for Garnet families interested in participating.
In addition to Stam’s and The Bookplate, contributing local sponsors to the program include Lippincott Designs and Dominique Ellis Public Relations.
Trish McGee, owner and publisher of The Evening Enterprise, is president of the Kent County Board of Education. She did not contribute to this report.