This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Sure, candied hearts and flowers are pretty cute, but wouldn't it be much more fulfilling to share the love of reading on Valentine’s Day? Fortunately, International Book Giving Day falls on Friday 14th February, and is dedicated to getting new, used and borrowed books into as many people’s hands as possible.
An international holiday, Book Giving Day is a 100% volunteer driven initiative, which was celebrated in countries all over the world last year. While we’re often made aware of children in developing countries needing books, we don’t always realise that one third of children in the United Kingdom live without a single book to call their own. In the United States of America, meanwhile, two thirds of children living in poverty don’t have books. That's what the thousands upon thousands of worldwide volunteers hope to change.
This Friday 14th February, book lovers are encouraged to participate in the holiday however they can. Whether it’s by giving a book to a friend of family member, leaving reading material in a waiting room or on a park bench, or donating your gently used paperbacks to a local hospital, shelter or charity like Room to Read, Book Aid International or Book Bus.We're pretty passionate about spreading the reading love here at Novelicious, so thought we'd set a little challenge. Your mission – should you choose to accept it – is to gift one book to a child you know or a complete stranger on International Book Giving Day. Be sure to print out one of the free to download bookmarks to place inside the cover, so whoever finds your little gift knows it’s safe to take home. Which of your old favourites will you be sharing?
You can send us a picture of your chosen title on Twitter or Facebook, too. We’d love to see what you’re doing to celebrate!