I LOVED that program! That and the MS Readathon were totally my things! At the time you don't realizing they are using game theory, but as an adult you look back and think "that was really smart". Very much food for thought.
(Litnerd person here). My daughter’s school used Epic, and one of the things we found frustrating was that it was only “free” until 3PM and then if she wanted to continue reading we (the parents) had to buy a subscription (and it was not cheap IMHO). One of the things I love is that this is coming through the school, and will not cost the parents a dime. We cannot expect to impact literacy in lower income households by adding to their overtaxed budgets!
Coupled with teachers working unpaid hours it is somewhat frightening (even if you are not a parent). And we wonder why our society has issues that are so divisive? There is a line between those who are well educated and informed, and those who are not, that starts in elementary school!