By Tonyaa Weathersbee (Florida Times Union Columnist)

Letrice Walton is only 15. But she's already absorbed an adage that many people never quite catch on to. That is, to never judge a book by its movie. "I saw the movie, Memoirs of a Geisha," Letrice, who attends Raines High School, told me. "But I liked the book better... It covered things that weren't in the movie. It had dramatic twists that you wouldn't expect. "It was everything I like in a book."

But Letrice's review of that book - about how an orphaned Japanese girl rose to become the top geisha of her day -and 24 others didn't just earn her praise from her teachers and loved ones. It also earned her a refurbished desktop computer - courtesy of an effort spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown and VyStar Credit Union.

Known as the Community Book Club, it works like this: Any school age child who lives in Brown's congressional district and who reads 25 books by May 17 will receive a computer donated by VyStar. At Raines, 29 students have earned computers. "They're mostly reading books of their choice, fiction and nonfiction," said Brenda Harrell, Raines media specialist. "I put a lot of different books out to encourage them."

But don't think for a minute that choice means ease. The students have to choose from a list of books approved for their age level. And after they finish reading each book, they must be able to do what Letrice did - discuss it. At Raines, Harrell issues a reading response form to students that asks, among other things, what was their favorite part of the book, details, whether they would recommend it to another student and why.

Hopefully, that requirement isn't stopping more students from jumping at the chance to get a free computer.

But any student who wants one would be wise not to wait around until May 17. Only about 200 computers are left. For more details on the requirements, call 354-1652. "I'm almost out. We've given out 400 computers," said Brown, who also said that it was School Board member Betty Burney who approached her with the idea of starting a community book club. "We've been offering it to Raines and Ribault, but it's the middle school kids who are really taking to it.

"One little boy told me that he's now read 200 books. " Brown said she's heard from many students since her office began giving them the chance to earn computers. "I have letters from kids who say, 'I didn't have a computer in my house, and now I have one in my room,'" Brown told me. "One boy wrote that since he got his computer, he's not only reading books, but he's writing a book - and he needs the congresswoman's help in finding a publisher.

"The key to all this isn't the computers. The key is to get them reading." That's all good. It's good because when youths are motivated to read for leisure, they ultimately begin to see reading as a challenge and a delight rather than a chore. Their confidence builds.

Soon, they begin to see the computer not as a toy but as a vehicle for heightening their understanding and enjoyment of books. As well as their success in school and in life.