A lunch counter offering classic American lunch staples, fountain sodas, and house-made ice cream & sundaes in a historic downtown Chestertown landmark

Stam’s Sweet Readers

Following a sweet first year at H.H. Garnet Elementary, Stam’s Luncheonette is thrilled to open the Stam’s Sweet Readers program to all elementary schools and home school groups serving elementary-aged students across Kent County!

Our community-driven reading incentive program designed to foster a love of literacy is growing. By meeting the monthly reading goals students in grades K through 5 earn exciting real-world rewards for their hard work.

How the Program Works:

• Track Progress: Every student receives a Stam’s Sweet Readers button decorated with empty ice cream cones. Each month they reach their reading goal, they earn an ice-cream-scoop sticker to fill a cone.

• Monthly Rewards: Hitting a monthly goal earns students a certificate redeemable for a "Build Your Own Sundae Spectacular" on a VIP silver platter at Stam’s Luncheonette, plus a $5 voucher toward their next book purchase at The Bookplate (only one prize certificate can be redeemed per day) 

• End-of-Year Grand Prize: Students who meet their reading goals every month and fill their entire button for the school year earn an invitation to our exclusive VIP End-of-Year Celebration at Stam’s and a $20 gift certificate to The Bookplate!

Bring Stam’s Sweet Readers to Your School or Group

We are actively onboarding new Kent County elementary schools, classrooms, and home school groups for the upcoming school year.

To cover the cost of customized printed materials and operational overhead, a small program fee is required to launch. See FAQ below for more details.

Ready to inspire your young readers? Email us at stamsluncheonette@gmail.com today to get your school or group onboarded for Year 2!

In addition to Stam’s and The Bookplate, contributing local sponsors to the program include Lippincott Designs.

Sweet Readers FAQ

How does it work?

Each month of the school year (October - May) the students have a chance to earn a Sundae Spectacular experience at Stam’s Luncheonette and $5 towards a book at the Bookplate! To earn their reward, they will complete a Scoop Report - a page where they record reading 15 or 30 minutes (depending on their grade) 20 days out of the month and fill in “reports” about four of their favorite books that month. The student must complete the report and turn it into the Sweet Readers administrator at their school by the end of the month. They will get a prize certificate to bring to Stam’s Luncheonette and Bookplate! 

Stam’s Luncheonette will provide each student in your school or home school group with a Sweet Readers button. These buttons will have blank “ice cream scoops” and they will get a sticker for each month they complete their reading goal.

Brandywine, owner of Stam’s Luncheonette, can visit your school to hand out the buttons and explain the program if time allows. Or Brandywine can meet directly with the school representative who will be administering the program.

All students who complete all eight months will be invited to a special end of year VIP celebration at Stam’s!

What material will be provided to my school?

A Sweet Readers button for each student

Bookmarks with an outline of the program

Digital files for large posters, monthly scoop reports, and prize certificates that you will print your self

What is the Sundae Spectacular?

A build your own fantasy ice cream sundae presented to the Sweet Reader on a silver platter! Your choice of ice cream in a bowl along with 6 - 8 separate toppings plus seasonal goodies that you can pile on top of your ice cream. A few little surprises too!

Who is eligible to participate in Sweet Readers?

All K - 5 classes or home school groups within Kent County

What is the cost of the program?

Total students in your school -

Less than 10 - $25

11 to  25 - $75

26 to 100 - $150

101 plus - $200

This price will cover the cost of the buttons, printed materials, plus design and concept development that went into the program start up. The Sundae Spectacular will be donated by Stam’s Luncheonette. 

Can I contribute to the cost of the program even if I’m not a school administrator?

Yes! Donations are accepted online and at Stam’s Luncheonette and will go towards the cost of the sundaes.

Please contact us at stamsluncheonette@gmail.com to be a part of Stam’s Sweet Readers or if you have any further questions