World Book Night: A Resounding Success

The second annual World Book Night U.S. has come to a close, and book givers and book lovers are thrilled with the turnout.

On Tuesday, April 23, 25,000 book givers fanned out across the country to hand out half a million free books to spread the love of reading.

Givers visited locations including nursing homes, Veteran Affairs hospitals, shelters, public parks, subway platforms, and firehouses, as well as a hot dog stand, the Lincoln Memorial, Dress for Success offices, an Okinawa military base, and a steel mill.

Major media outlets picked up on the story, with Tuesday’s most notable coverage coming from the Today show, where WBN U.S. Executive Director Carl Lennertz and a book-giving crew appeared on set during the 9:00 hour.

The Christian Science Monitor reported on the titles being given away at Broadway’s performance of Annie on Tuesday night in New York, with copies of Norton Juster’s classic The Phantom Tollbooth (Random House), Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief (Disney), and John Green’s Looking for Alaska (Penguin) being placed on the theater seats. Audience members were encouraged to pass the books on to a light or non-reader, bringing an entire theatre of people into the book-giving spirit.

The Los Angeles Times highlighted the events of the day, including the massive effort by the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES), which had its English department select a set of titles and encouraged parents to become givers in order to distribute more than 1,000 books to middle and high school students.

Local news sources jumped in on the action in cities across the country.

Deseret News in Salt Lake City profiled community members, including Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker and Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank, who chose to share WBN books with the homeless through the city’s Homeless Outreach Services Team. “IWorld Book Night is not just about giving out books,” Becker said. “It’s about people, communities and connections. It’s about reaching out to others and touching lives and sharing stories.”

Betsy Burton, co-owner of King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, took part in the efforts to build connections and broaden the horizons of the people in her community. “We can be so closed off and we don’t think about other people and the plight they’re in,” Burton said. “If you are in a place that you don’t usually inhabit, talking to people that you don’t usually talk to, reaching out to them, giving them something, that really does provide a bridge.”

In Ventura, California, where Bank of Books helped distribute 460 books, givers also handed out books to a homeless population, reported the Ventura County Star. Michelle Leah Gomez brought her two children to the River Haven transitional housing encampment to pass out copies of Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward (Bloomsbury). Three-year resident Donna Reynolds was pleased with the gift, and commented, “This is a nice surprise. This book received a National Book Award.”

In Port Angeles, Washington, where The Odyssey Bookshop served as a pickup location, the Peninsula Daily News covered the efforts of its many givers, who handed out 1,700 books in total. Givers Deborah Morgan-Ellis and Gary Heaton visited the Serenity House and Healthy Families of Clallam County shelters, while other givers traveled to the Quileute Tribal Center and the LaPush community, in the westernmost zip code of the continental U.S.  

Jason Haxton, aiming to reach students, handed out copies of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens (HarperCollins) at the Kirksville High School and the Bruce Normile Juvenile Justice Center in Kirksville, Missouri, reported the Kirksville Daily Express.

Social media was also in a frenzy throughout the day. Twitter tags #wbn2013 and #worldbooknight lit up with pictures and words of delight as givers fanned out across the country.

Many Tweeters shared each time they gave away a book, counting from the very first to the very last. After assembling her supplies at Nicola's Books in Ann Arbor and handing out her first copy of The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (Random House) in Westland, Michigan, Elizabeth Goetz wrote, “One book down! Girl in an awesome cat shirt who just finished finals! Hope she loves it!” Goetz wrapped up two hours later, posting, “Dear girl with headphones, that was my last book. Happy World Book Night!”

The World Book Night Facebook and Tumblr pages are still filling up with stories and images from the event — many inspirational, some hilarious, and a few heartbreaking.

Crystal Crawford shared her experience on Facebook after giving away copies of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 (Simon & Schuster) at Thirteenth Place, a home for runaway and homeless teens in Gadsden, Alabama. After seeing the enthusiasm from the kids, Crawford offered to return in one month to hold a book club discussion. “I’m so glad I got to experience this,” she wrote.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Aaron Blechert gave out Salvage the Bones to people on the street. “It’s so great to give something to a complete stranger. Some seemed annoyed, as if they thought I was trying to promote a religion or something. In a way I guess I was: reading! Most were delighted and thankful. I hope I can do it again next year!” he exclaimed.

Katandra Shanel Jackson wrote of an unusual meeting that turned inspirational in Georgia, after she gave a copy of Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress (Simon & Schuster) to a Mr. Herman Moody, who snatched her hand into his. She was suspicious of the gentleman at first, not knowing his intent, but when he started speaking, she was stunned. He began to pray for her. “Here I am worried because hundreds ain't turned into thousands and thousands ain’t turned into millions and millions ain’t turned into billions in the bank account,” Jackson wrote. “But today I’m the wealthiest woman alive.”