Don't Forget to Celebrate National Book Month!

October is coming to a close, but it’s not too late to celebrate National Book Month (and to get warmed up for National Novel Writing Month in November). Here at the TakeLessons HQ, we’ve been sharing some of our favorite books from childhood to reconnect with the excitement and joy of getting lost in a good book. There’s something about these books that speak to us and remind us why reading is so important in the first place. 

Reading introduces kids to new worlds, teaches important skills like imagination and empathy, and improves memory. For many of us, the first books that tapped into these parts of our brains hold a special place in our hearts. Here’s a short list of a few of the great books that we treasure from our younger days that continue to delight children and adults alike:

• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell, a classic survival tale about a young girl shipwrecked on an island.
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle, a Newbury Medal-winning science fiction story about space travel and the power of love.
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, the beloved fantasy about a hidden world found in a wardrobe.
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a coming of age novel that explores themes of prejudice.
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, a fantasy about the wonder of learning.

Celebrate National Book Month by checking out one of these suggestions, re-reading one of your favorites, or passing a copy along to a youngster in your life who will appreciate it. Here are some more ideas from the National Book Foundation for different ways schools and other organizations can celebrate books in October:

Art projects
Each classroom can decorate a door based on a book, which every student has read. Classroom with the best decorations wins a pizza party.

Reward students for reading.
For every book read, students receive a gold star. At the end of semester, students receive a test grade based on the number of books read. For example, a student who read 5 books gets an A, while a student who read 3 books gets a B.

Send letters to authors.
Encourage students to write letters to their favorite authors. They may get a response.

Book Trivia
Instead of a spelling bee, students answer questions about books and authors previously assigned as homework.

Read your students a bedtime story.
Host a special evening in your school gym where students and parents are invited to a school-wide slumber party where students, teachers, and parents all read to each other.

Take a picture.