"The Short of It" Challenge
Read one (1) essay OR short story originally published in the 21st century (i.e. January 1, 2001 or later) available through HCC Libraries. Print or digital.
Tip: You may email ask@hccs.libanswers.com to request a short list of the category options with your preferences (Examples: “I really like fantasy fiction,” or “I want to find an essay or short story that’s inspirational or has a sports theme.”) if you need help choosing or finding one that interests you. Please allow at least 1 business day for a librarian response.
Respond by direct quoting a sentence of your choice and providing the correct MLA Style (9th edition) in-text citation for it.
Tip: Visit the HCC Library’s MLA Style (9th edition) LibGuide for helpful citation guidance.
Reward: One (1) library raffle prize entry.
"Ebonrary" Challenge
Read a book written by a Black author or centering Black voice(s) or stories.
Tip: Check BCALA Literary Awards, Coretta Scott King Awards, Carter G. Woodson Awards, OCM Bocas Prizes for Caribbean Literature, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Awards, Essence Literary Awards, Phillis Wheatley Awards, Ernest J. Gaines Awards for Literary Excellence, or the NAACP Image Awards for inspiring possibilities.
Respond by sharing a specific passage from the book that you found poignant, inspiring, or challenging. It can be a direct quote or a paraphrase. Provide the correct Chicago Manual of Style: Author-Date style (17th edition) in-text citation for it.
Tip: Visit the HCC Library’s Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition) LibGuide for helpful citation guidance.
Reward: Two (2) library raffle prize entries.
"Alphabet Soup" Challenge
Read a book (alternatives: eBook, audiobook, eAudiobook) written by an LGBTQIA+ author or centering LGBTQIA+ voice(s) or stories.
Tip: Check Lambda Literary Award Winners or award-winning books selected by the American Library Association’s Rainbow Round Table for inspiring possibilities.
Respond in 100 to 200 words by explaining what caused you to choose this title and format, whether your impression of the book changed much (or not) by the end, and why.
Reward: Two (2) library raffle prize entries.
"Roses are Red" Challenge
Select a print book or eBook collection of poetry. Read at least five (5) poems.
Respond with the names of five (5) poems you read separated by a semicolon (Example: “High Dudgeon; Mice in the Cupboard; gravity; My Sweetest Day; 10,000 Rupees to Preeti Ganesh”). Identify your favorite and explain why in 100 to 200 words.
Reward: One (1) library raffle prize entry.
"Mayday" Challenge
Read a comic book or graphic novel available through HCC Libraries: print or digital.
Tip: Live Chat with an HCC Librarian for help locating your options, or browse the Comics & Graphic Novels collections available in print at HCC’s Alief-Hayes, Central, Codwell (Northeast), Eastside, Northline, Spring Branch, South, and West Loop campus libraries.
Respond in 200 words or less, tell us why you chose this title, whether you’d recommend it to your peers, how many stars you would rate it (out of 5) and what you liked most or least about it.
Reward: One (1) library raffle prize entry.
Don’t forget to submit your proof of completion(s) by Sunday May 4, 2024 11:59PM Central Time at the online webform. Students will receive at least one (1) raffle prize entry per successfully completed task with a maximum of seven (7) possible raffle entries for the Spring 2025 semester. Winners will be contacted no later than May 11, 2024.
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