INDIANAPOLIS — October is National Book Month.
It's also been 40 years since the launch of "BOOK IT!," a national pizza restaurant chain's effort to inspire young readers.
In 1984, Pizza Hut began offering youth across the country incentives to read books, giving away more than 1.5 billion personal pan pizzas along the way.
BOOK IT! is aimed at students from Pre-K to sixth grade and encourages children to set and achieve reading goals.
In 2019, the company expanded BOOK IT! by offering free or discounted books to educators who serve students in Title 1 schools, an effort that has since impacted nearly 400,000 kids, the company said.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of BOOK IT!, Pizza Hut is giving away one million free personal pan pizzas during National Book Month. You can get yours by using the code "BOOKIT40" when you check out online or on the Pizza Hut app. A minimum $8 purchase is required.
Pizza Hut is also giving a portion of the proceeds to the reading program when customers order the BOOK IT! Bundle, which includes two large, 1-topping pizzas and breadsticks.
