It Takes a Village

It Takes A Village to Read a Book

     It takes a village to read a book, or at least that is the latest trend in marketing children’s
books. Publishers are pushing the idea that communities should host readings, book giveaways,
and pizza parties to drive up sales. It’s a good trend. Communities everywhere are seeing the
importance of celebrating children’s literacy through gala events, and kids could not be happier
about this positive focus on them and on reading. In rural Oregon, a book fair recently created a
circus environment for kids, and along with picking up a box of new books, they competed in
outdoor games. There were gigantic blow up dice to toss, charades to act out for families, photo
booths, and a wheel of fitness (where you spin the wheel and act out the exercise). A stamp
challenge led kids through a good amount of physical activity, after which the kids ate snow
cones and watched high school students perform an Elephant and Piggy book on stage,
complete with props and costumes. 
     The idea of turning a book into a play is a great idea for a book blast. It brings the community
together on the lawn, or in chairs, or in a classroom. The choice of book is really important, too.
Kids swoon over Piggy and Elephant books. They love the honest stories about how to have
relationships with friends and family. Every community could add their own special touch to
bring a good book closer to home, like the high school actors who spoke their lines in both English
and Spanish.
      Books like Elephant and Piggy are meant to be read out loud, and kids of all ages find them
funny. So many great books can be turned into plays, in which high school kids get to give
something of a caring nature to the younger generation—a love of books. After the play at the
Oregon Book Blast, families got settled on the lawn to have a picnic and a book discussion. The
kids were ready to wind down. Since it was a beautiful summer day, the kids were able to be
outside where they could exercise as well as engage with good books.

     Another ideal location for a community literacy event is a bookstore, and some bigger chain
stores already bring in guest authors along with free pizza and door prizes. Kids get a chance to
talk” one-on-one” with their favorite authors, and of course, the idea is that their parents will buy
books. But a community book blast needs to be available for families who can’t afford to buy full
price books.
     No matter what a child’s access to resources may be, the best literacy program of all is the one
that tells them they are valued in their community. Libraries promote reading events and reading
challenges. They continue to be a valuable community resource all year round. Kids identify
strongly with books they own. They find important and personal answers in them. 
     There are very encouraging signs about community efforts to foster reading. Church and
block parties routinely advertise free books, and often neighborhood garage sales sell books for
a dollar or less. Incorporating books for kids at community events is becoming de rigueur. Many
bemoan the fact that kids don’t read anymore, but Kids have a voracious appetite for books.
And the children’s genre is only getting better. 
      Guest writers work for a big fee—that’s how they make their living. So booking Rick
Reardon or Gary Paulsen may not be possible. But a “local author” would be happy to give a
great reading to kids and to talk to them at length and partake in the pizza. So many good
writers, some of them former teachers and librarians, are now responding to these difficult times
by writing for children and publishing their own amazing Indie books. Kids don’t care if it’s a
famous writer or not. They still ask the same questions: Who drew the pictures? Why do you
have the same last name as the guy who wrote the book? Do you know Gary Paulsen? Are you
from the 19th century? And last of all, why did you write the book? Because kids, to be very
direct, are our most valuable asset.