Celebrate National Book Month in October

Founded in 2003, National Book Month is a month-long celebration focusing on the importance of reading, writing, and literature. National Book Month encourages both reading and writing, two activities that both children and adults can benefit from greatly. Not only will frequent reading help to develop better reading and writing skills, but it will also expand knowledge, improve vocabulary, and provide great entertainment, too.

You can also use National Book Month as an opportunity to honor deserving authors. Writing a good book is a work of art and deserves celebrating, and showcasing the accomplishments of today’s best authors is a great way to show kids worthy role models in the world of literature. Here are some simple activities you can do this October to celebrate National Book Month!

1. Start a new book. The most obvious way to celebrate national book month is to read a book. If you’re someone that wants to start reading more, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Giving children the challenge to start a new book during National Book Month is also a fantastic way to encourage reading, and would make a good homework task for any class.

2. Discover a new author. Why not use this month to discover a new author? Ask a friend for a recommendation, or better yet, ask your local librarian.

3. Recommend a book. A good book recommendation is up there with the best gifts you can give. If you have a book that you loved in mind, it’s likely that your friends, family, or even your social media following will love it, too.

4. Contact an author. Have a favorite author? Why not reach out to them and tell them how much you love their work? It’s certainly in the spirit of book month and is such an easy way to get involved. Thanks to social media, contacting your favorite author has never been easier. Authors often don’t get enough appreciation, so there’s no doubt they’ll love to hear from a fan.

5. Try writing. What better time to get creative and do a little writing? Set yourself a challenge for the month – whether it be to write 50 pages of a book, create a new poem or share a blog post. If you’re struggling to get started, set a timer and write for 10 minutes continuously. If you can’t think of anything to write, just write “I can’t think of anything to write” a few times over–something will come to you! There are no rules other than you can’t stop until the timer goes off. Give it a go and you may surprise yourself.

6. Give your pre-loved books a new home. This month is all about encouraging reading, and donating books is a wonderful way to pass on a pre-loved book for another to read. Look for a donation bin near you, or visit your favorite secondhand bookstore and make a donation–and perhaps even a little cash.

7. Support a local bookstore or library. With E-readers and online booksellers like Amazon, some people rarely visit their local library or bookstore anymore. This month, take a trip down to the library and see what books they have to offer. It’s unlikely you’ll be stuck for choice, and it’s much more sustainable than buying a new copy of a book.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services