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Community Corner

That Four-Letter Word!

World Book Night's annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading by giving away books person to person happens each year on April 23.

 

"FREE"

There are a lot of advertising campaigns that start off with the offer of free then comes the caveat: with purchase.  It's no wonder that people don't believe it when you offer them something completely free, no strings attached.

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Simply pick a book and go!

This is my second year as a World Book Night giver and it is my way of giving back to the community I live in. I chose Oceana Market, a cornerstone business in Pacifica and a frequent participant in local charitable efforts, as my giveaway location.

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What is World Book Night?

World Book Night is celebrated annually on April 23.

According to the organization’s website, April 23 is the UNESCO International Day of the Book, chosen in honor of Shakespeare and Cervantes, who both died on April 23, 1616. (It is also the anniversary of Shakespeare's birthday.) In the Catalan region of Spain, the day is celebrated by giving a book and a flower to a loved one. 

World Book Night was introduced in 2011 in the UK and Ireland to bring attention to books for adult readers. The United States’ inaugural year was 2012.

World Book Night books are specially produced, not-for-resale paperbacks. Book givers received 20 copies of the same book, from the list of 30 picks.

Building Community

In 2012, I was the lone book giver.  This year, I was joined by fellow givers - Virginia Medrano-Rosales, Leopoldo Rosales, and Dustin. WBN organizers estimate that 'tens of thousands of people go out into their communities and give half a million free World Book Night paperbacks to light and non-readers'.

Medrano-Rosales and I had chosen the same book, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Often categorized as a novel, it is more of a collection of vignettes or snapshots of a young girl's memories growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that many who visited our table had read this book before and enjoyed it very much.

A sample from the book: "She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry because she couldn’t be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window."

McGahan chose Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. Published in the year 2000, this book is a collection of essays.  Several people who came to check out our table had also read this book and commented in the midst of laughter that they wouldn't want to be part of his family or on his bad side. This brought to mind the quote, "Careful, or you'll end up in my novel."

A sample from the book: “I hate you' she said to me one afternoon. 'I really, really hate you.' Call me sensitive, but I couldn't help but take it personally.”

Rosales chose the most popular pick of the night, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Like many, I had not heard of this book before World Book Night USA.  As Rosales describes it, it is the story of a young girl who communicates best through flowers.

A sample from the book: “Anyone can grow into something beautiful.”

How to Get Involved

Anyone can be a giver.  The online application process is straightforward and simple. To participate in World Book Night 2014, you can sign up for their newsletter to get news and updates on the application process.

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