HOW DOES YOUR BOOK PROJECT WORK?
Children hide their favourite books in zip-lock bags anywhere they wish; at lochs, parks and on walks, all with a little note inside. When someone finds the book, the note tells them they are the lucky finder and that they can read the book then re-hide it for someone else. We also ask if they would be willing to send a photo to my Facebook page, so I can show the children that their books have been found.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA?
I was inspired by a nursery group in England who had done something similar, and I realised my local community didn’t have anything like it. I thought that not only would it be good for the children that I look after, but it would also benefit the rest of the wider community.
HOW DID THE PROJECT GROW?
The project was initially just for the children I look after, but when I shared it on Facebook, lots of other people wanted to join in. People are still coming up to me in local supermarkets or around town saying, ‘I found one of your books!’ I recently found out there is now a Look for a Book scheme in Scotland, a national book hunt encouraging children to find, read and re-hide their favourite stories, so even more people will benefit from that.
WHY DO YOU FEEL SO PASSIONATELY ABOUT READING?
It benefits children of all ages as it gets them off iPads and away from the TV, and this project gets them out and about as well while they are hunting for books. The excitement when they find a book is amazing. I feel that sitting together to read a book is a great way for children to communicate and connect with their parents, and helps their learning and their development of language and communication, cognitive and listening skills too.
