As the service projects director for the University’s R.E.A.D. Book Club for several years, I’ve assisted in developing several service projects that current students, faculty, staff and alumni of the University can support. These projects have included adopting books through the Smithsonian and the club’s award-winning legacy project Random Acts of Reading, which supports K-12 literacy and reading initiatives. Random Acts of Reading has won the Outstanding Legal Project award for the past three years.
My Elementary School Experience Inspired the Idea of a Create-a-Book Day
Due to these projects on behalf of the R.E.A.D. Book Club, I was motivated to do something in my community of Shenandoah, Iowa, to help promote literacy for children. After giving it some thought, I remembered a project that I did in my sixth-grade class, involving creating our own books and reading them to kindergarten students.
My book was a poetry collection about bees. Even after all these years, I still remember the fun the children and I had.
I reached out to the children’s librarian at Shenandoah Public Library, Carole Dailey, to make arrangements for a Create-a-Book Day. She was excited to host and advertise the event at the library and suggested broadening the age range to include older children as well. The idea of older kids worried me a bit because I wondered if this type of activity would hold the attention of 12-year-olds.
However, I was determined to make it an engaging experience for everyone. We settled on a date for the Create-a-Book Day, and I gathered supplies such as sheets of colorful cardboard, white paper, and colored pencils.
Holding the Event at the Library
The night before Create-a-Book Day, I put the booklets together. Each booklet consisted of 10 pieces of 11×17 paper folded in half with a colorful cover made from cardboard.
I brought everything to the library half an hour before the kids were scheduled to arrive and carefully arranged the booklets and other materials on the tables. Carole and a high-school student volunteer helped with the set-up.
Before I knew it, 17 kids ranging in age from five to 12 came in and took seats around the table. I explained the project’s purpose and directed them to the supplies on the table.
I emphasized they could write and draw whatever they wanted. Also, they could include a dedication on the inside cover.
The kids had a blast! They immediately began sharing ideas, writing, drawing and showing off their work. Even the parents who attended got involved.
I’ve never had 2.5 hours go by so fast, and the results were amazing! All of the kids – from the youngest to the oldest – came up with creative stories and unique illustrations. Afterward, I donated the remaining supplies to the library to use for future projects.
We also discussed making this Create-a-Book Day an annual event at Shenandoah Public Library. Carole said that this event “was one of our most successful programs this year, not only in attendance but in creativity. The children and adults so enjoyed your program that not only do they often bring it up, but look forward to having it again.”
Comments are closed.