Books & Kids

Again, I’m sharing my secret for the best holiday party ever and I hope as many of you as possible will copy the idea – if not this year then next.

Invite all your friends over for brunch, lunch or dinner and have them bring a book for a child in need. Have paper, scissors, and tape on hand for everyone to wrap the books, and put a Post-it on each book indicating what age it's for. I’ve been giving a Bring-a-Book Lunch for my girlfriends and students for the past seven years and it’s become a traditional holiday party at our house.  Since I don’t have the time or inclination to cook, I just buy a lot of party size frozen lasagna, a ready to eat ham, fix lots of salad, and have plates of Trader Joe cookies for dessert. This year about fifty women came – some with whole boxes of books. All the books are going to an inner city school in LA (a school that doesn’t even have books for the classrooms, let alone each child owning his or her own book) and also to Ocean Park Community Center in Santa Monica.

As for the slightly sexist nature of this party, I took a vote the first year about whether to add guys and – what can I say? They wanted to keep it an all girl party.  (And if I missed any of you who usually come to this, please let me know for next year. My address list is a mess.).

Here’s another way to help kids get books: Check out the website for the Bring Me A Book Foundation www.bringmeabook.org/ - This amazing organization serves kids who don’t have access to good books. 

One more thing - We’re all got enough stuff, right?  This year I’m giving my grandchildren shower heads and paint for Brad Pitt’s project for rebuilding the lower 9^th Ward in New Orleans. Check this website out: www.makeitrightnola.org You can send them $10.00 or buy a whole house for $150,000.

 

A brief update on my last post: My husband is fine, but it turns out that Charlotte the cat is diabetic and I’m now giving her two shots of insulin a day. I’d love to hear from any of you who are going through this with your own cat or dog.

Comments

[Rebecca Laffar-Smith]

Wow, a "Bring A Book" party sounds like a great idea.

I'm involved in bookcrossing.com and I just put a pile of children's books in a box. (My kids have too many and were starting to damage them through lack of consideration and care.)

I hadn't decided what to do with them yet. Perhaps I'll bookcross them and donate them to a local children's hospital, shelter, or school.

Thanks for the great idea!

[Barbara]

Rebecca -Thanks for the info on bookcrossing.com!

[Mary]

Take heart, Barbara. Your cat can survive this illness. I had a cat who required insulin injections twice a day at the age of 11. She lived for another 5 years and died at the ripe old age of 16.

[Patricia]

Your party is an innovative concept. Another organization that promotes books for in-need schools and children is www.BookEnds.org. I heard about it through Danny Brassell, a professor in the school of education at CSUDH. He is on the board of this non-profit that is based on kids helping kids...recycling their books to go to other children who need them. There are many ones one can participate with this program. We all know that placing a book in the hands of a child, especially a child who's world may not be so "sparkly" is a very empowering gift. Danny also has his own website with book recommendations for all ages at www.lazyreaders.com.

[lorenstephens]

Hi Barbara so glad to hear that your husband is fine. Loved your idea of the book party. I have started volunteering for the Wonder of Reading, a great organization that gives LAUSD schools books, fixes up libraries and trains mentors to read with children who are having difficulties. We started with Professor Poopypants (my child's choice) but next time, he picked out a book that I brought him about dolphins -- mercifully. We had fun looking up works in the dictionary and discussing "words that are different but sound alike." The whole experience brings me back to my own joy of reading and gratitude for the years of my youth when books were my best friend. (Sarah Barton -- Student Nurse, Nancy Drew, etc. etc.). Anyway, wishing you a Happy Holiday and looking forward to class in February. Loren Stephens

[Barbara]

Mary - Five years of two shots a day?! Wow, what a good cat person you are. And yes, I do think Charlotte will survive this. With shots this week her blood sugar has gone from 560 to 114!

Patricia - Thanks so much for those websites.(Hope everyone reading this checks them out.)

Loren - Sarah Barton - yes! I haven't thought of her in years. Nancy Drew of course is always with me. (Mentioned in my novel in fact.) And bravo for the good work you're doing.

[Tanya Mravik]

First of all, I'm so happy to hear that your husband is home and feeling better after the stroke.

And while I have never had a cat with diabetes, I did pet-sit for a diabetic cat for about a year and a half (the cat has had diabetes for longer than that). When I started pet-sitting for this cat, she was receiving 5 units of insulin twice a day. She is now down to 4.5 units of insulin twice a day. I may be biased, but she is totally worth the sacrifice and effort of giving insulin twice a day.

I wish both Charlotte and your husband (and you too, of course) long, healthy, happy lives. :)

[Barbara]

Hi Tanya - Thanks for your comment. And yes, Charlotte is totally worth it too-

[Jo]

so glad to hear your husband is doing well! great idea for a holiday party! i think i may pass this idea along to my writing group for tomorrow's meeting (which happens to be at my house this month!)! i once had to give my cat pinky steriod pills twice a day for a period of time because a bacterial infection made him dangerously anemic - that was an adventure! i don't envy you having to give charlotte shots! with your love & attention, she'll be just fine!

[Barbara]

Jo - Thanks for your comment. Hope your writing group goes for the book lunch idea.

[Jenny]

This is a great idea. Thanks for sharing it.

[Barbara]

Jenny - thanks for your comment and please steal the idea!

[Job]

1. 5 keys, 1 flash drive, and a feather from a pgraridte who was once in a pear tree (just kidding; I don't carry around a flash drive. That would be silly.) I do know what each on of them does, although sometimes I get the key to my house and the key to my office at work mixed up sometimes.2. I own two domain names.3. I've read 11 books so far this year (hoping to cram another two in to get to lucky 13. Fingers crossed.) My favorite was Blue Like Jazz. I've been a little busy lately and didn't have to read it in 2003 like everyone else.

[Maryjoyce]

1. I have three. I know what all of them are for. That's beucsae I just took three other keys off two weeks ago beucsae I was tired of carrying keys around and not knowing what they were for. 2. Domain name? I don't think I own any. That might be changing very soon. 3. I'm guestimating that I've read about 30-50 books this year. My favorite was definitely The Hunger Games.