Little Free Library Announces ‘Many Voices’ Theme for Action Book Club
Calling all young readers ready to make a difference! The Action Book Club, an international program hosted by the Little Free Library nonprofit organization, encourages kids to sign up today—and have a chance to win free books to get your group started.
Here’s how the Action Book Club works: Participants read and discuss books, then carry out a meaningful (and fun) service project together. This is community engagement at its best. Once your group has completed a project, share your story online, and your small act could inspire hundreds more.
While the Action Book Club is perfect for any age group—from elementary classrooms all the way up to existing adult book clubs—kids have shared some of the most awesome stories:
- An elementary school in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, read the book Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña then collected new socks for a local homeless shelter. “This was such a rewarding experience where we all had an important part of the ‘action,’” says parent volunteer Alysson Foti Bourque. “All the kids worked together to help the community in need, and the shelters were so thankful for the kind gesture.”
- A third-grade classroom in Cleveland, Ohio, read the book Look Where We Live! A First Book of Community Building by Scot Ritchie and started a school recycling program. “After walking around the school, taking inventory, and asking questions, we noticed a lot of waste of resources in our school. We found out that our school does not have a recycling program,” says teacher Robin Palmore. “We signed up at Pepsico Recycling and began to recycle water bottles. We set a goal for 15,000 bottles.”
- A mom and her two young sons, Harald and Theodore, of Bellingham, Washington, prove that an Action Book Club doesn’t have to have a lot of members. The group of three read Last Stop on Market Street, then set up a lemonade stand that collected donations for their local aquarium. “I thought it would be fun, and it was!” says Harald. “I really like the aquarium. I might want to be a marine biologist when I grow up.”
All new groups that join the Action Book Club through July 15 will be entered to win free books from our recommended reading list. Click here to sign up!
(Winners chosen at random; limit 10 books per group. Did you miss the July 15 deadline? Don’t worry, all groups that sign up for the Action Book Club will receive a special welcome kit.)
Action Book Club Theme Is ‘Many Voices’
Every six months, the Action Book Club announces a new theme for the recommended reading list. We’re proud to share the current theme, “Many Voices,” which celebrates diversity, our differences, and the similarities that connect us all.
The list includes books like Thunderboy Junior by Sherman Alexie and Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina.
Here is what some Action Book Club authors are saying about the Many Voices theme and why diverse books are important:
“Why are diverse books essential? Because our minds make associations based on what we feed them. We need authentic representations of ourselves in order to build healthy, resilient identities, and we need positive encounters with people whose experiences are different from ours in order to build empathy and connection. Diverse books can provide both. The Action Book Club’s ‘Many Voices’ list introduces readers to a gorgeous range of human experience.”
—Anne Sibley O’Brien, author of I’m New Here
“I believe reading diverse books is important because when we see ourselves in our characters, it makes the world around us feel cozier and more connected.”
—Reem Faruqi, author of Lailah’s Lunchbox
Learn more about the Action Book Club and sign up here. Questions? Contact us at abc@littlefreelibrary.org.
