Welcome to the HCC's Northeast College Libraries' Annual Reading Challenge page for Spring 2025.
Each challenge will be published on the first of each month. Students may opt to receive timely email/calendar reminders of upcoming challenges and deadlines, if they wish, by completing this webform. 
"Roses are Red" Challenge (April)
Read five (5) poems or more, in print or digital format, available through HCC Libraries or Open Access 
.
Tip #1: Check our Readers' Advisory: Poetry page for some poetry possibilities. You can also email ask@hccs.libanswers.com for help finding more options. Visit Texas A&M University's Writing Center page on Analyzing Poetry. The page's introductory paragraph and Thesis sections will be very helpful in drafting a thesis.
Respond with the names of at least five (5) poems you read and draft a thesis of your interpretation of one or more of them.
Technical Guidelines: Use MLA Style, 9th edition formatting for your page, in-text citation, and bibliographic citation at the end. Use the sample paper available to download at the bottom of this box to guide you. Students must use a unique reading selection/(s) for each monthly challenge they enter.
Tip #2: Visit the HCC Library’s MLA Style, 9th edition LibGuide for helpful citation guidance or Purdue University's O.W.L. (The subsection "A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection" may be helpful to many of you relying on those source types.)
Rewards: An HCC swag item or freebie, and one (1) library raffle prize entry for the drawing at the end of the month. Students will be notified of the raffle drawing outcome no later than Wednesday May 7, 2025 and must claim their freebie (or prize) at an HCC Northeast College library location of their choosing.
Deadline: This challenge must be completed by or on Wednesday April 30, 2025 at 11:59pm CT.
→→→ Click here to submit your work entry for the "Roses are Red" Challenge. ←←←
Qualifying students who successfully complete all five (5) Spring 2025 Challenges will receive a digital Certificate of Achievement from HCC's Northeast College Libraries at their HCC student email address and will be entered into a bonus raffle prize drawing!
May 1, 2025 to May 31, 2025
Past
Read one (1) essay or short story, in either print or digital format, originally published in the 21st century (i.e. January 1, 2001 or later) available through HCC Libraries or Open Access Open Access icon.
Tip #1: You may find it helpful to email HCC librarians at ask@hccs.libanswers.com to request a short list of options to choose from with your preferences (Example Queries: “I really like fantasy fiction and need help finding a short story in that genre to read.” or “I want to find an inspirational essay to read, can you help me find one?" or "Can you help me find either an essay or short story to read that's related to sports? It needs to be from the 21st century.”), but don't forget to mention the publishing date requirement. Please allow at least 1 business day for a librarian response. You may find good options at our Speed Reads page.
Respond by identifying a particular passage that resonated with you and explain briefly in 1-3 sentences why you chose the passage.
Technical Guidelines: [A] Perform direct, block quoting of your selelcted passage. [B] Use MLA Style, 9th edition formatting for your page, in-text citation, and bibliographic citation under the Work Cited heading at the end. The Work Cited section does not need to be a separate page due to the assignment's brevity. Use our sample paper available for download to guide your work
Tip #2: Visit the HCC Library’s MLA Style, 9th edition LibGuide for helpful citation guidance (on the Citing Books & eBooks page, the guidance for "A chapter, essay, or section of an ebook" may be helpful to many of you relying on those source types; or check Purdue University's O.W.L. (the subsection "A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection" may be helpful to many of you relying on those source types.)
Read a book, in either print or digital format, (including audiobooks, comics, graphic novels, or novellas) written by a Black author OR centering Black voice(s) or stories.
Tip #1: Students can find qualifying books at our library's Black History Month page, Black Stories/Black Voices page, and Juneteenth page or even review options at our Speed Reads page. Students may enjoy books honored by BCALA Literary Awards, ALA's Coretta Scott King Book Awards, NCSS's 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 Literature as inspiring possibilities. You can perform a book Title search in our Library Catalog or live chat with an HCC librarian for help!
Respond by identifying a particular passage that you found poignant, inspiring, or challenging and explain in 1-3 sentences why.
Technical Guidelines: [A] Perform direct, block quoting of your selected passage. [B] Use MLA Style, 9th edition formatting for your page, in-text citation, and bibliographic citation under the Work Cited heading at the end. The Work Cited section does not need to be a separate page due to the assignment's brevity. Provide the chapter(s) and page number(s) or chapter(s) and paragraph number(s) you reference for your in-text citation(s). Examples: (Oberlin ch. 3, 42) or (Sanchez et al. ch. 8, par. 6). Use our sample paper available for download to guide your work. Students must use a unique reading selection for each monthly challenge they enter.
Tip #2: Visit the HCC Library’s MLA Style, 9th edition LibGuide for helpful citation guidance or Purdue University's O.W.L. ("How do I cite an audiobook?")
Begins March 1, 2025 "Alphabet Soup" Challenge (March) Read a book, in either print or digital format, (including audiobooks, comics, graphic novels, or novellas) written by an LGBTQIA+ author OR centering LGBTQIA+ voice(s) or stories.
Tip #1: Check Lambda Literary Award Winners, Stonewall Book Awards List, our LGBT History Month page, or the American Library Association’s Rainbow Round Table’s notable books (see their Award Information: Winner List) for inspiring possibilities, then check our library catalog for the book. You can also text an HCC librarian for help at 1+(713) 568-9582. In a hurry? Check our Speed Reads page for any potential titles.
Respond in 100 to 200 words explaining why you chose this particular title and format, whether your impression of the book changed much (or not) by the end, and why or why not. Use MLA Style, 9th edition formatting, in-text citation, and provide the complete citation as a Work Cited at the end. Use the sample paper available to download at the bottom of this box to guide you.
Technical Guidelines: [A] Perform direct, block quoting of your selected passage. [B] Use MLA Style, 9th edition formatting for your page, in-text citation, and bibliographic citation at the end. The Work Cited section does not need to be a separate page due to the assignment's brevity. Use our sample paper available for download to guide your work. Students must use a unique reading selection for each monthly challenge they enter.
Tip #2: Visit the HCC Library’s MLA Style, 9th edition LibGuide for helpful citation guidance or Purdue University's O.W.L.
"Roses are Red" Challenge (April)
Read five (5) poems or more, in print or digital format, available through HCC Libraries or Open Access OA icon.
Tip #1: Check our Readers' Advisory: Poetry page for some poetry possibilities. You can also email ask@hccs.libanswers.com for help finding more options. Visit Texas A&M University's Writing Center page on Analyzing Poetry. The page's introductory paragraph and Thesis sections will be very helpful in drafting a thesis.
Respond with the names of at least five (5) poems you read and draft a thesis of your interpretation of one or more of them.
Technical Guidelines: Use MLA Style, 9th edition formatting for your page, in-text citation, and bibliographic citation at the end. Use the sample paper available to download at the bottom of this box to guide you. Students must use a unique reading selection/(s) for each monthly challenge they enter.Tip #2: Visit the HCC Library’s MLA Style, 9th edition LibGuide for helpful citation guidance or Purdue University's O.W.L. (The subsection "A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection" may be helpful to many of you relying on those source types.)
Coming soon
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