![A child chooses a book from a Book Oasis little free library in Seattle.]( "A child chooses a book from a Book Oasis little free library in Seattle.")
A child chooses a book from a Book Oasis little free library in Seattle.
![The Book Oasis little free library design from Peter Sydloski-Tesch of Perkins&Will, which was created to offer books within reach even to small children and those in strollers.]( "The Book Oasis little free library design from Peter Sydloski-Tesch of Perkins&Will, which was created to offer books within reach even to small children and those in strollers.")
The Book Oasis little free library design from Peter Sydloski-Tesch of Perkins&Will, which was created to offer books within reach even to small children and those in strollers.
![The Book Oasis little free library at High Point in Seattle.]( "The Book Oasis little free library at High Point in Seattle.")
The Book Oasis little free library at High Point in Seattle.
![Book Oasis designer, Perkins&Will architect Peter Sydloski-Tesch.]( "Book Oasis designer, Perkins&Will architect Peter Sydloski-Tesch.")
Book Oasis designer, Perkins&Will architect Peter Sydloski-Tesch.
Seattle, Washington Jul 14, 2021 (Issuewire.com) - Children’s books spark the imagination and love for reading so vital for every child’s development, and Page Ahead’s “Book Oasis” little free libraries are working to bring those books to Seattle kids, especially to those in “book desert” neighborhoods, where access to books is limited by household income and a lack of access to libraries and bookstores. After launching 18 beautiful new Book Oasis little free libraries especially for kids across Seattle this spring, Page Ahead is now offering kids an interactive way to enjoy great stories, with a series of “Summer Story Time” events at High Point.
Throughout July and August 2021, Page Ahead is sponsoring “Summer Story Time” at High Point, with a series of live storybook readings for local children at the amphitheater at Neighborhood House High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way SW, Seattle, WA 98126) each Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. Each reading session will explore a different and fun theme and will feature two different readers to read aloud during the hour. Each session will also feature take-home craft activities for attending kids, which, like the books, will fit the subject of that week’s theme.
The current Book Oasis “Summer Story Time” schedule includes the following dates, themes, and readers:
- July 20, 2021. Theme: Being You. Readers: Charlotte J. and Kim F.
- July 27, 2021. Theme: Bugs. Readers: Laurie R. and Bill G.
- August 3, 2021. Theme: Jazz (in-person craft day). Readers: Marcella A. and Laurie R.
- August 10, 2021. Theme: Books/Reading. Readers: Alexa M. and Bill G.
- August 17, 2021. Theme: Moon & Stars. Readers: Charlotte J. and Jack B.
- August 24, 2021. Theme: Dancing (in-person craft day). Readers: Beth G. and Thea B.
- August 31, 2021. Theme: Family. Readers: Beth G. and Jack B.
Each entertaining live reading will include books and stories relating to that week’s theme, and will then offer children the opportunity for take-home crafts—except for the events on July 13, August 3, and August 24, which will involve more intricate and complex in-person craft making at the event. Theme-oriented take-home crafts will be available to every child who wishes to take one home.
“Our goal with our Book Oasis Summer Story Times at High Point is to engage children and their families in the joys of stories,” comments Lisa Ceniceros, Literacy Programs Manager for Page Ahead. “We’re hoping that the kids who attend will get excited about reading, and thanks to the take-home crafts and book lists relating to each week’s theme, families can further explore them together by going with their kids to the Book Oases in the High Point community near them in order to borrow some additional books to read,” Ceniceros notes that the goal of the live readings is to get kids returning to the Book Oasis Story Time events week after week, as valuable resources for reading fun while schools are closed for the summer. She adds, “Plus, the only thing better than one joyful reading experience is many!”
As a recipient of a 2021 Library of Congress State Literacy Award, Page Ahead has dedicated itself to the building and maintenance of dozens of Book Oasis little libraries in Seattle neighborhoods where there are currently few or no affordable or free book-access options available. As a pint-sized, community-based free lending library, a Book Oasis provides a wonderful micro-library of children’s books. Each Oasis may be located in front of a private home or business—yet the books inside belong to everyone.
Book Oasis Little Free Libraries
From the very beginning, Page Ahead’s Book Oasis project was created to communicate the imagination and magic of reading to children with each distinctive bright blue little free library.
Designed by Perkins&Will’s Peter Sydloski-Tesch, each Book Oasis little free library is a sturdy, bright blue shelf unit with a homey peaked roof that was created to appeal to children, house books of all sizes (including the oversized picture books beloved by smaller readers) and protect them from the elements, and to offer easy access to the books by small children—even kids in strollers!
Each of the first eighteen Book Oases was built by contractors Lease Crutcher Lewis and DPR Construction (which donated both labor and materials) and is instantly recognizable wherever they are found. To ensure that kids continue to have access to their Book Oases, Page Ahead also continuously restocks each little library location with new books on a regular basis, unlike other little free libraries, which typically rely on the “take one, leave one,” system. This ensures that kids will always be able to find new and exciting reading materials when they seek them out.
Current Book Oasis Little Libraries can be found in the High Point, Broadview, Lake City, Northgate, and Olympic Hills neighborhoods, with more to follow in Rainier Beach, Rainier Vista, South Beacon Hill, and beyond.
Bring a Book Oasis to Your Neighborhood
To bring Book Oasis to as many local neighborhoods as possible, Page Ahead is seeking hosts and sponsors! If you’d like to host a Book Oasis outside your home or place of business or support the effort with sponsorship or in-kind donation, please contact Project Manager Kim Ferse at kferse [at] pageahead.org to explore these opportunities. Your neighborhood will thank you!
About Page Ahead
As the sole 2021 Washington state recipient of a prestigious Library of Congress State Literacy Award, Page Ahead provides new books and develops reading activities that empower at-risk children.
Page Ahead has grown from a King County book giveaway project to the leading provider of children’s books and literacy services in the state, currently serving more than 17,000 students in eighteen counties, and a top-ranked early childhood education program nationwide on Charity Navigator (where it also has a four-star rating). Since 1990 Page Ahead has placed more than 3.5 million new books to more than 950,000 children through collaborations with schools, social service agencies, preschools, and early childhood programs across Washington State.
Learn more about the Book Oasis Project at http://www.pageahead.org/COVID-19%20Response%20Projects.php, or learn more about Page Ahead at http://www.pageahead.org/. Meanwhile, follow and support Page Ahead on social media via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pageahead), Twitter (https://twitter.com/Page_Ahead_), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/page_ahead_/?ref=badge).
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