International Book Giving Day

We all know that February 14th is a day reserved for celebrating those we love and cherish, but did you also know that this Thursday is International Book Giving Day? What better way to combine your love of books and others to recognize the people that we love the most by giving them a book?

International Book Giving Day was started as a way to help get books into the hands of children across the globe. It is a volunteer initiative that encourages people to give a book to a child on February 14th. The International Book Giving Day's website invites people to participate in three ways:

1. Give a Book to a Friend or Relative. Celebrate International Book Giving Day by giving a child a new, used or borrowed book. 
2. Leave a Book in a Waiting Room or Lobby. Choose a waiting room where kids are stuck waiting and there are few to no good books available. Purchase a good book, and deposit your book covertly or overtly in your waiting room of choice. The goal here is to spread the love of reading to kids, so choose a fun book, nothing controversial.
3. Donate a Book.
   Wrap up a box of children’s books that your kids have outgrown and get them in the hands of children who could really use a book or two. Donate your books to your local second hand store, library, children’s hospital, or shelter. Alternatively, donate your books to an organization working internationally to get books in the hands of kids, such as Books for Africa.

Books are always one of my most favorite gifts to give. I know that my son will enjoy the books he receives on Thursday. Turning the pages for us as we read is one of his most favorite activities.

My fourth grade students also were quick to jump into action to get books into the hands of children. I presented them with the idea and gave them the opportunity to decide on the best way that they wished to participate. They are excited for our plans on Thursday. I can't wait to share!

How will you celebrate International Book Giving Day?  Do you have a creative way to help give a child access to books or build their enthusiasm for reading? Check out International Book Giving Day's site for more information, ways to get involved, and awesome free bookplates designed by illustrators to include in your donated book. Share your photos and stories! We'd love to hear how you help to spread the love of reading on February 14th.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Hartman

Day 119: A New Holiday Tradition

Being a new mom, one of the most exciting times of the year for me now are holidays. I love the opportunity to share cherished family traditions with my little guy, while starting new ones together.

One tradition that I was especially excited about starting this year was one I had found on Pinterest (where else?)-- a Christmas "advent calendar" of books. What an awesome way to share the excitement of the holiday spirit and the joy of reading together with my son all in one!!

The way I originally found this idea presented was to wrap up twenty-five books, put them under the tree, and have your child pick one each day to enjoy together. For this past holiday, I modified this idea a bit for my son because of his age, so instead of wrapping each gift separately, I reused the same gift bag and tissue paper each evening, but replaced the book with a new one for him to unveil each day.

I decided that I wanted to have all holiday books for our 25 Books of Christmas tradition. Choosing the books was hard (there are too many great Christmas favorites!), but finding them proved to be less difficult. I rummaged through my childhood book collection, visited used library sales, and browsed online book stores.

Each day, he really enjoyed exploring the tissue paper as he unwrapped each book. And I enjoyed cuddling up next to the fireplace and colorful Christmas tree lights to read a holiday story to my son. I can't wait for this tradition to continue again next year and grow and blossom into a cherished holiday memory.

Do you have any holiday traditions with your family that involve books or reading? What stories are a must read for your family around certain times of the year?

Happy Reading and Happy Holidays!!

Trick-or-READ

When author, Alice Ozma, visited our school a few weeks ago, she mentioned to the students about a tradition that she likes to take part in each Halloween in her hometown neighborhood. It is such a simple, yet powerful idea that gets kids excited about reading and helps to put more books in the hands of children. Even as an adult, I was very tempted to make the drive to New Jersey myself just to check it out. It's called Trick-or-Read.

If you were to visit Alice's father's home on the designated trick or treat evening for Millville, New Jersey, instead of getting a handful of sugary sweets, you would receive a book. Several years ago, Alice proposed the idea of handing out books versus candy to her father and trick-or-read has been happening ever since. This year, with her role as the National Book Fairs' manager of reading programs at Scholastic, her employer heard about her tradition and was eager to help out. Alice was able to place books (and a whole bunch of other fun reading treats) in the hands of hundreds of eager and excited trick-or-readers.

Check out her blog post about the experience on Scholastic's On Our Minds Blog, as well as this New Jersey media site's story of the event.

What an awesome way to get kids to be excited about reading (and less full of sugar)!

Is this something you have done in the past? Anyone planning to try it in the future? What ways do you share your enthusiasm about reading and books? Share your thoughts and ideas!