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If a picture is worth a thousand words, can thousands of words be worth millions of dollars?

Ten million, to be exact?

We think so. And we think Silverwood Theme Park can prove it.

That big barrel of buckaroos is the latest tally showing how much Silverwood has awarded in free passes to area school kids who stick their noses in books for fun. Reading for enjoyment seems to be a novel idea these days, and yes, the bad pun was fully intended.

Superficially, at least, there's every appearance of young people eschewing books as a form of entertainment and enlightenment, preferring instead cell phones and high-speed Internet access. The last book many read? Why, Facebook, of course.

But Silverwood is here to tell us that thousands of first- through fifth-graders from 379 schools across the Inland Northwest have reached the required 10-hour recreational reading goal. Hitting that plateau punches the ticket for free admission to the theme park. Multiply all those kids and all those tickets by the 12 years the program has existed and you can see how $10 million in freebies could be happily handed out. And that's how a very good habit, lifelong reading, can be started.

We applaud Silverwood for putting a hefty hunk of its profits into such a worthwhile program. We also wonder what healthy, brain-building activities other businesses and organizations might come up with to challenge our region's kids and keep their minds and bodies sharp, particularly during the lazy days of summer.

While $10 million in prizes is nice, maybe lesser rewards for positive activities would help attract the kids and, by extension, benefit the community at large. Let us know what you're doing and we'll be happy to put a spotlight on your program. Heck, maybe we'll even get you a pass to Silverwood.