Teen Lit Day and World Book Night

The month of April has been a pretty exciting one in terms of celebrating everything books and YA. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about or can't infer from the title of this post, I'm referring to both Teen Lit Day (Apr 12) and World Book Night (Apr 23). Both days are essentially dedicated to promoting literacy, whether specifically in teens or in anyone, and I am proud to say that I participated in both.

For Teen Lit Day, I was one of many who Rocked the Drop. That is, I left a bunch of books at random public places for other readers to take. I have to say that I had a lot of fun devising locations in which to leave my books, actually dropping them off, and passing the same locations later and realizing that someone had taken my book! (Also, the knowledge that I would own 8 less books by the end of the day was also a huge motivator as well!)

Here's some photo documentation of how I Rocked the Drop:

some pigeons overlooking How to Make a Bird by Martine Murray in Riverside Park;
only now to I realize how appropriate that sounds

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan outside Milbank Hall on Barnard's campus

Love? Maybe. by Heather Hepler inside the Diana Center on Barnard's campus

Meridian by Amber Kizer in a tree on Lehman Lawn on Barnard's campus

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs in Riverside Park

a signed copy of First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci outside Barnard Hall on Barnard's campus

The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki on the Columbia Sundial on Columbia's campus

and last but certainly not least, Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick at the feet of Alma Mater on Columbia's campus; I have to say that this was my favorite and perhaps most appropriate Drop of the day!

Clearly, most of these books were left around the campuses of Barnard and Columbia, because, as it was a school day, I didn't really have the opportunity to go elsewhere! At the very least, I hope I made some college students happy!

Also, though perhaps somewhat unnecessary, I decided to include a little note with each book that read "Take me please! I'm free!" in the hopes that would encourage the random passerby to happily pick up the book. I know if I were just walking around NYC and saw a book left on a bench, I probably wouldn't just take it for fear of, well, basically anything unsavory...


This month, I also signed up to be a Giver for World Book Night, which basically meant that I got a box full of 20 special copies of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie to distribute to reluctant readers.

my box full of books!

one lovely special edition of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

When I decided to take part in this event, I figured that where else is there a huge concentration of reluctant readers than a college campus? As a college student, I know that free time is hard to come by and that the last thing most students want to do in that time is read more. However, I also know as a book lover that the right book can get anyone to read.

my Giver box, now empty!

So I distributed my books in public spaces in my dorm building and sent out some emails! Hopefully, my fellow Barnard students will love this book as much as I did!