buy a friend a book week: giving and receiving

Update: debnance wins!

Four times a year, the residents of the blogosphere celebrate Buy a Friend a Book Week. Buy someone a book just for fun. Not for a birthday, graduation or other special occasion but just because you want to celebrate reading or friendship or both. And July 1-7 is BAFAB week again. And I do have something great for you (keep reading through), but I also want to present an opportunity to give here as well.

As many of you know, I am as a librarian/media specialist at a Title 1 public elementary school in Washington DC. And I have been happily working toward building a culture of readers these last three years amongst students who frequently have below grade level literacy assessments and few or no books of their own. And additional challenges in their home environments. And along with my great co-workers, we are succeeding. Just look at the child above. Engrossed in a book. We see it all over the school now. And we could not be happier.

But... We still have a great number of needs. So I rely on the great people at organizations like First Book, Donors Choose, and Books for America amongst others. And on my Amazon wish list. So, if you are so inclined, and wish to buy a great kid or a great school library program a book during BAFAB week, please think of us. Where you see large numbers of a single title requested, the book will become the property of a child participating in a book club. Single copy requests are for the school library collection. It feels good to spread the reading love, and your kindness will be greatly appreciated. Our wish list is here.

And what do I have for you, fellow book lovers, this BAFAB week? A signed copy of The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. "In her most intimate and seamlessly crafted work to date, award-winning author Adichie turns her penetrating eye not only on Nigeria but on America as well, in 12 dazzling stories that explore the ties that bind men and women, parents and children, Africa and the U.S." (from the publisher) Can't wait to read this myself.

To enter, comment here by close of day July 7 with your favorite short story or favorite short story writer. Easy peasy. All are welcome to enter. Will mail anywhere. And don't forget to spread the book love this week. Randomly and generously.

Comments

[Audrey]

Still , and probably always, J.D. Salinger. What a great concept-BAFAB. Most of my friends can easily afford to purchase their own books so I choose to give to her your deserving children. I applaud all of your great work and devotion to it.

[Nadia]

BAFAB is a brilliant idea! Reading is such a wonderful experience and I think its amazing what you do - building a culture of readers. Bravo to you!! I am trying to get my cousins to read and have been buying them books for every occasion or just whenever I find something that looks interesting for them. I just love listening to them read or hearing about which books they love. Its awesome! I say Congrats to you for your hard work in engaging children with reading!!

Anyhow, I wanted to throw my name into the hat for the giveaway. My favorite short story writers are Jhumpa Lahiri, Kurt Vonnegut and Haruki Murakami. They have all created such wonderful literature and though Vonnegut and Murakami are not solely short story writers, they have written some short stories that I find to be amazingly interesting and well written. However, I suppose if I have to choose a favorite short story it would have to be one by Lahiri - " A Temporary Matter" from her debut collection of short stories titled, Interpreter of Maladies. Such a brilliant story that evokes such emotion in such a short space. Definitely my favorite!

Cheers!! Happy 4th!!!

[Cornflower]

Mollie Panter-Downes.
Brilliant idea to have a school wishlist!

[Dorothy W.]

Thanks for doing the give-away! My favorite short story author is Flannery O'Connor. But I also love Raymond Carver and Alice Monro and Chekhov.

[Claire]

I have only now discovered your blog so I hope you don't mind me first commenting for a freebie!

Fabulous concept.

My favourite short story writers are Angela Carter, Neil Gaiman, and Katherine Mansfield, all of whom are very different and all offer wonderfully crafted and beautifully written short stories. My favourite short story is "The Company of Wolves" by Angela Carter, a feminist re-telling of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale.
Recently I discovered "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, which is relatively unknown in the UK. I thought it was amazing and found it eerily evocative.

[Marie]

Love this idea! I am so going to do this. I had never heard of it before. But then again, I live in a cave. LOL.

Blessings,
Marie

[JoAnn]

Great giveaway! I just rediscovered short stories this year - haved loved Jhumpa Lahiri's collections, but also classics from Updike, Cheever, Wharton and Cather.

[Loretta]

Thank you for your great blog. I love Alice Munro. I'm always surprised that she doesn't have more of a following.

[claire]

Oh Frances! Count me in please! I'm dying to read this book. I haven't read many short stories but some of my favourite collections are Grace Paley's Enormous Changes at the Last Minute and Salman Rushdie's East, West.

I just love what you're doing for your students. I looked through your wishlist and would love to help a bit. Would it be okay if I didn't go through Amazon? My very good friend is the illustrator of the new Flat Stanley series. I might ask him to sign a few. :)

[debnance]

I read Raymond Chandler many, many years ago and I couldn't stop reading his stories.

I'd love to read this collection. It isn't at my library yet. :-(

[Wisteria Leigh]

First, I think what you are doing is fabulous. I am a media specialist in Danbury, CT with a major special needs, ELL and diverse population. I would love to talk to you off blog via email regarding what is working for your school. You already emailed me and I have yours. Thanks for what you are doing for the kids. Hope you are enjoying your time off.

My favorite short story writer is Eudora Welty, a southern charmer. Love her writing.

[Olduvai]

Although better known for his novels, Haruki Murakami has written some pretty memorable short stories. My favourite short story is his 'On Seeing The 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning'.

[EL Fay]

I've actually bought my sister a couple of great YA books for her birthday ("Sloppy Firsts" by Megan McCafferty and "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins). I don't read much YA, but I think it's great that the market for it is so hot right now. When I was a teen (late '90s, early '00s) most YA seemed to consist of Christopher Pike-type trash.

My favorite short story author is Edgar Allen Poe. There was also a volume edited by Joyce Carol Oats that had a lot of great American Gothic short stories in it, including a really seriously creepy retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

[Eva]

OMG! It's signed?! Best BAFAB give away ever!!! (I shall stop with the exclamation points soon.)

I love short stories, so asking me to choose a favourite writer is really mean. :p But my favourite ss writer that I discovered this year and only via stories would be Guy de Maupassant.

[J.S. Peyton]

Sigh. Somehow, I always manage to miss BAFAB. How is this possible? I need to get with the program. Next time I am going to be all over this.

I feel a little bad about entering for this giveaway since I already have a copy of this book, but it's signed! I figure if I win, I could always give my unsigned copy away. =)

One of my favorite short story writers is Joyce Carol Oates. I've never read any of her novels but that woman writes a mean short story. I just started reading her last year, and the first collection I read, "The Museum of Dr. Moses" blew me away with how much I liked it.

[mee]

Entering! :)
I don't read many short stories, but if I have to pick a favorite author, it's probably Haruki Murakami. One of his short story that I loved so much was "On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning".
You can read it here:
http://www.blueblanket.net/Steph/Make/Visual/Perfect/

[lissa]

O. Henry, - definitely my favorite short story written, his story, the last leaf, had stay me with for many years after I read it