Self Organizing - BookShare Box Libraries

Overview
Recent research shows that the ratio for age-appropriate books in middle income neighborhoods is 13 books to each child. In low income neighborhoods the ratio is significantly lower at one book for every 300 children.  Children learn their most important reading and reading comprehension skills from first grade to third grade. If they do not learn to read by third grade, they will experience great difficulty when challenged to "read to learn" throughout the rest of their education.

Your family can help by collecting new and gently used books and assembling BookShare Box Libraries. Children will be encouraged to read, especially if someone reads to them, and they can keep the books to start a personal library at home.

Goals

• To raise awareness of the importance of childhood literacy
• To encourage all children to enjoy reading and to read more by creating personal libraries
• To foster childhood literacy by providing new and used books to children
• To develop compassion for the people you are serving.

Supporting Organizations:

• Homeless shelters
• Low-income day care center
• Low-income pediatric clinic
• Libraries
• Low-income afterschool programs

Materials

• New and gently used children’s books
• Small wooden wine crate or fruit box
• Sandpaper
• Latex or acrylic paint in two or more colors
• Paintbrushes
• Sponge shapes
• Coffee cans or plastic containers (for sharing paint)
• Coffee can or plastic lids (to hold paint for sponging)

Instructions

• Check with one of the supporting organizations to see if they would be willing to receive your donation of BookShare Box Libraries. Each volunteer should make 1 Bookshare Box Library filled with at least 10 books apiece.
• Collecting Books:
• Discuss with your family the need for books for children in low-income neighborhoods.
• Collect new and gently used books in good condition.  No scribbled or torn pages. 
• Check yard sales, library sales, thrift shops to purchase books inexpensively. 
• Check with family and friends for books they would be willing to donate, or organize a book collection at your school or faith-based organization.
• Sort through the books you collect and make sure they are in good condition. 
• Making a BookShare Box Library:
  1. Optional - Use wood filler to cover writing on the crate and to smooth it off.
  2. Sand the crate lightly until smooth.
  3. Paint the box. You might paint the inside one color and the outside another.
  4. Give the box two coats of paint, allowing drying time between them.
  5. When the box is dry, decorate by dippng sponge in paints and lightly pressing sponge against box.. Create random patterns or borders with sponges and use two contrasting colors if desired.
  6. When box is completely dry, fill with books. Sort by reading levels if you have enough books.
  7. Deliver BookShare Box Library to your chosen organization.

Additional Resources
Literacy Fact Sheet for Kids at www.HandsOnNetwork.org/FamilyVolunteering/ServiceLearning

Suggested Reading

The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting
On Wednesday nights when Grandma stays with Anna everyone thinks she is teaching Anna to read. But seven-year-old Anna and her grandmother are planning a special gift for dad's birthday: secretly, the two read books together until finally the grandmother has learned to read.

More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby
From sun-up to sun-down, nine-year-old Booker packs salt at a saltwork, but more than anything else, he wants to learn to read. Set in the fall of 1865 in Malden, West Virginia, this story is based on the childhood of Booker T. Washington.

Reflection
After your volunteer project, it is important for families to reflect on their experiences.  Choose one of the reflection activities from the list below.

Magic Wand – This activity uses the concept of a magic wand to help children talk about and reflect on their volunteer experience.  Have your family sit in a circle.  Tell everyone that you have just found a magic wand that allows you to grant wishes, and pose the questions, “If you could grant a wish to one person, who would it be, and what do you think he or she would wish for?”  “How do you think what we did today will make someone feel, and how do you think that is similar to granting a wish?”

Family Pictionary – Have each member of the family take turns drawing something about their volunteer experience and how they felt about it.  While each person is drawing, have everyone else try to guess what the picture represents.  After each picture is drawn, the artist should talk about the picture and why they chose to draw it.