YALSA's Operation Teen Book Drop Kicks Off
RSSBy Rocco Staino -- School Library Journal, 04/15/2010
Readergirlz and GuysLitWire, two Web sites that encourage teen reading, are participating in this week’s Operation Teen Book Drop, aimed at delivering 10,000 new books to native reservations and tribal lands around the country.
The program, set to take place today, is part of the Young Adult Library Service Association’s (YALSA) fourth annual Support Teen Literature Day. It involves YA authors and readers, and encourages libraries to spotlight teen books through public programs, displays, and book talks—and is in conjunction with National Library Week..
Publishers such as Abrams Books; Bloomsbury/Walker Books/Candlewick Press; Chronicle Books; Hachette Book Group; Boyds Mills Press; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; and Macmillan have donated books valued at more than $175,000.
Some 44 institutions will benefit from Operation Teen Book Drop, which is also sponsored by If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything, a national reading club for Native American children directed by Loriene Roy, a former president of the American Library Association.
“These publishers have shown astounding vision and generosity by supporting Operation Teen Book Drop,” says readergirlz cofounder and author Dia Calhoun. “Now underserved teens can benefit from the current explosion of high quality YA books. These teens can see their own experience, their tragedies and their triumphs in these books, books that become shining doorways to the young human spirit.”
Mary Nickless, a librarian at Ojo Encino Day School, located on a Navajo reservation in Cuba, NM, says she’s delighted that her school is a beneficiary because her Native American students seldom have the opportunity to personally own a book.
GuysLitWire also has created a wish list of 750 books that the general public can buy from online bookstore Powells.com and have their purchases sent directly to one of two tribal school libraries, Ojo Encino Day School or Alchesay High School.
Now in its third year, in 2008 and 2009, Readergirlz and GuysLitWire coordinated the delivery of 20,000 new books to teens in hospitals.
“Operation TBD was originally conceived with the hope of reaching a number of teen groups,” readergirlz co-founder Lorie Ann Grover says.
This year the beneficiaries for book donations has shifted to Native American teens. “When the readergirlz cofounders brainstormed who especially would appreciate the power and hope of a good book, two underserved groups came to mind immediately, says Martha Brockenbrough, a readergirlz spokesperson. "The second group heavy on the hearts of the cofounders were Native American teens."
Another activity of Operation Teen Book Drop is having 100 teen authors including David Levithan, Sara Zarr, and Cynthia Leitich Smith drop copies of their books in public locations like shopping malls, fast food outlets, or on public transportation where a teen may find them and read. And at the end of the day on April 15th readergirlz will sponsor an online post party at its Web site at 6pm PST/9pm EST where teens are encouraged to logon and celebrate reading.
Readergirlz is a Web site and blog sponsored by seven female YA authors and celebrates strong girls in books. GuysLitWire is a blog that provides book reviews for teenage boys.
To learn more, visit the Operation TBD Web site or watch a short video about Operation TBD. The Readergirlz site has more information, including downloadable bookplates.
