|
Hosting a book swap for kids |
|
|
|
Written by Tracy Romoser
|
|
Feb 01, 2008 |
Who hasn’t been the recipient of hand-me-downs? I for one benefited from the annual growth spurts of my older cousin Krista. By the time my little sister Marcy received the clothes, they’d be threadbare remnants. But my mom and dad swapped more than clothes with our friends and neighbors: baby sitting, sports equipment, appliances, beds, cradles and especially, books.
When my husband and I had our own kids, we found out how expensive it was to outfit a family. A few years ago, a friend of mine and I came up with the idea for a book exchange, so the kids could meet and swap good books. We wanted to get the kids in on the act so they could see, in a very tangible way, the benefits of being creative while watching the family budget and sharing with others.
Unlike the colorful hand-me-down clothes that fade after every wash, the content in a good book always remains color-safe and vibrant. The words may peer up at you on slightly torn pages, but the imagination and conversation they often start can be as fresh and new as the first time the story was read. And if you’ve read a good book for your last time, there’s no reason not to pass it on to someone else.
A book exchange is also the perfect opportunity to get friends together, and we were pleasantly surprised by the social aspects of swapping tales. Our exchanges begin with some light snacks and conversation as adults and kids sorted the books they brought onto tables, arranged by type and genre. The excitement builds as attendees ask owners questions about the books. After about an hour, we officially holler, “Go ahead and swap!” and hands and Book Bucks (more on this in a minute) start flying.
An actual swap is often filled with good-natured jostling and some bartering as kids find books they want in the hands of friends (“I’ll let you read this right after I’m done with it.”), and can go on until most books are picked up by new owners. After everyone settles down, the kids look over their new stash of reading or orchestrate last-minute trades with friends. True, it’s more chaotic than a day at the library, but it’s an acceptable way to be loud and wild in the company of books.
Here’s how to start your own book exchange:
- Work out how many people will be invited. You may want to start with a group of 10 families instead of putting out an open invitation.
- Set a timeline and let all the attendees know what’s in store for the event. For instance, will you spend time talking and eating snacks before the event?
- Determine which genres your book exchange will accept and then make signs and provide separate tables for each category.
- Let folks know what is not acceptable for the swap. It might be that videos are taboo, as well as older computer games or licensed software. If in doubt, keep it simple and age appropriate.
- For every book a guest brings, provide them with a bartering medium (chips, play money, coupons or something you create). We get a Book Buck for every book brought to the swap, good for exchanging for another book.
- Determine how the swap ends. Is it after all the books have been accounted for with a Book Buck? If you want to get rid of the leftover books, decide if kids can then take other books they find inviting, even if they’ve used up their bartering chips.
- Decide if kids may trade books after the swap. You may need an adult to oversee a brief 15-minute open trade at the end of the event.
- Any books left over on the tables must be reclaimed by the people who originally brought them to the event.
Tracy Romoser is a Seattle-based writer. She and her husband have two children who enjoy reading as much as they enjoy music, TV and hanging out with friends.
Web sites that provide popularity lists and ranks for books:
www.nea.org/readacross/resources/index.html
www.education.com/reference/learningread/
Local kids’ bookshops:
www.pnba.org/memstate05.htm
www.allforkidsbooks.com
www.thirdplacebooks.com
www.secretgardenbooks.com
www.square1books.com
Finding used books:
www.recollectionbooks.com/seattle.html
|
Ages & Stages 
