Encouraging Children to Read Through Book Events

photo: Monica Kirkham Photography @ Flickr

I love hearing about the creative ways that schools celebrate books with children. There’s been a lot lately on the net, because of World Book Day in the UK, and Read Across America in the US–from children dressing up as their favorite book character (and at some schools, even the teachers did–now THAT would be fun to see!), to students watching their principal and vice-principal eat green eggs and ham (thanks Jen), to a reading tent in the playground, to designing a book cover, to students designing their own bookmarks. One library–Clare County Library–even has a Get Caught Reading Photography Competition for children. There are some wonderful photos to pore over.

Such fantastic, creative, fun ideas! I think it’s such a positive and fun way to get kids excited about and involved in reading. Creating events where children can have fun, while encouraging them to read, instead of forcing books on them as if they’re a chore or homework…. I think the fun approach is so much more likely to succeed.

I wish book events like these happened on a more frequent basis, but that they happen at all is such a positive thing. And in the UK it wasn’t just kids who got dressed as their favorite book characters; at least one set of bookstore employees–the booksellers of Burway–also got involved. What a lovely example to set for children and for other adults–caring about books, and having fun while doing so. That’s the way it should be. Because books are fun. They’re so much more than that, of course–but books are, and should be, a pleasure to read. So hurray for all these wonderful celebrations of books. That’s what I see them as. Celebrations.

Do you know of any good book events?

March 10th, 2008