Organizers at the Readergirlz literacy project are encouraging people around the country to drop young adult books off anonymously in public spaces like coffee shops, buses, park benches, restaurants and so on. The hope is that in turn, these books will be picked up and enjoyed by teen readers.
To participate, volunteers download a free bookplate like the one posted here and stick it inside a book (or books) and drop them off in a public space. This way people know the book is not "lost" but theirs for the taking. But before you (the giver) hurries away, Readergirlz asks that you snap a photo of your drop and email it to them at readergirlz@gmail.com so they can chart the donations. Plus, keep your eyes peeled for drops happening all around you. You might find a title of something you haven't read yet!
I am so enamored with this project that I would like to see the parents in our school district get involved on a broader scale next year. So, I had this brainstorm that next year, we could organize a mass of parents armed with say 10 books each and do a community-wide drop on the designated ROCK THE DROP day! (Instead of just a few of us participating.) How cool would that be if LOTS of our kids found free books throughout the day -- in their lunchrooms, in their locker rooms, on their buses and so on? What a fun way to really promote literacy in our community! I can't wait!
For more information about Readergirlz, visit them at http://readergirlz.com/issue.html. They have a really rockin' site!
