2015 Red Sox Summer Reading Game!

Pedro Martinez, 2000 MTA Red Sox Summer Reading Game spokesman

When the Massachusetts Teachers Association first launched their Red Sox Summer Reading Game back in 2000, their very first spokesman was the reigning Cy Young Award winner, Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez.

Fifteen years later, Pedro is on his way to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Red Sox Summer Reading Game is still going strong. I'm happy to be teaming up again with my favorite team, the Boston Red Sox, my pal Wally (the coolest mascot in baseball), the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and this year's spokesperson, Red Sox pitcher Craig Breslow, on the 2015 MTA Red Sox Summer Reading Game.

In the coming weeks, 15,000 posters and 500,000 entry forms will be distributed in schools around the state. This year's materials feature Craig Breslow and Wally reading my book, Growing Up Pedro, at Fenway Park! I'm thrilled that the MTA chose Growing Up Pedro as this year's featured book, especially given the vital role Pedro played in getting this excellent program off the ground back in 2000.

So teachers, librarians, and students in grades K through 8 should be on the lookout for the posters and entry forms. In the meantime, you can visit readingmatters.org to download an entry form and print a free poster.

To enter, students simply need to list nine books they pledge to read over the summer, for a chance to win two free tickets to a Red Sox game in September! 100 students will win tickets, so it's definitely worth entering!

Good luck, happy reading, and GO RED SOX!

The 2015 MTA Red Sox Summer Reading Game poster