Ethiopian Children's Book Week :: April 1st-7th, 2008

April 1-7th, 2008 is Ethiopian Children's Book Week. There is a wonderful organization I have found through our home study provider called Ethiopia Reads. This organization strives to build a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books. They do this by planting libraries for children, publishing books in English as well as local Ethiopian languages, and training teachers and librarians to cultivate a love of reading among children. You can also purchase books in English and in Amharic.

Here are some ways you can help Ethiopia Reads:

• Ask your library to buy Jane Kurtz's books about Ethiopia. Check them out and read them with your children, grandchildren -- or even by yourself. People can't care about what they don't know about.
• Buy copies of Ethiopia Reads’ multi-lingual books for children. 100% of the money goes to Ethiopia Reads.
• Organize a book sale and donate the proceeds to Ethiopia Reads.
• Host a “dinner party” in which guests stay home and donate the cost of a meal out to Ethiopia Reads.
• Write an article about Ethiopia Reads for your school, neighborhood, church, synagogue or community newsletter.
• Tell your friends to visit www.ethiopiareads.org.
• Honor a friend who loves to read by making a donation in his or her name.
• Challenge a group of friends or co-workers to raise enough money to plant one library.
• Are you a teacher or librarian? Encourage your students to learn about Ethiopia! Make a book about your school or classroom and ship copies to Shola Children’s Library.
• Make Ethiopia Reads the focus of a service project for Scouts, school, camp, church, bar mitzvah, graduation, etc – or just for fun!
• Introduce Ethiopia Reads to your service club, such as Kiwanis and Rotary.
• Celebrate the birth of a baby by making a gift in a child’s name to Ethiopia Reads.
• Let your local librarian know about Ethiopia Reads.

What Children Can Do

• Send a favorite book to Ethiopia Reads P.O. Box 2677, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Ask birthday party guests to bring a book for Shola Children’s Library.
• Offer to do odd jobs in your neighborhood to raise funds to donate to Ethiopia Reads.
• Contribute a portion of allowance money (each week) for the permanent library building fund.
• Put your old toys and clothes in a garage sale – contribute the money to Ethiopia Reads.