Library Challenge As the elementary students are learning to use reference materials, they sometimes have difficulty applying the information they find to appropriately complete research assignments. To help them understand how to do this, I developed the "library challenge." This is not a mandatory assignment, it's strictly for those students who want to take the challenge. On a small bulletin board, each week I post a "library challenge." It is a question that the students must use one of the reference materials to answer. The question goes beyond asking for a definition; the students must use the information they find to appropriately answer a question. I keep track of correct answers, and when students have four correct answers , they choose a prize from a basket I keep filled with reading materials, for example: small student dictionaries, word puzzle books, bookmarks, comic books, etc. The challenge is open to all grades up to high school, but usually only 3rd grade and up can do it without help. Some examples of recent library challenges are: What supplies would you need to complete an ikebana project? What is an akita and what is it commonly used for? What might you see coming from an embrasure? Debbie McCarson Sewell, NJ