Kids, Try Reading Without Walls to Learn About the World Around You

Has a book ever helped you discover something new about the world? Books can open up the world around you and show you a different way of thinking. For example, when I read the book Poop Detectives, I learned that scientists train rescue dogs to hunt for whale poop in the ocean. I love to share that fact with people! If you're interested in learning and thinking more about the world around you, Reading Without Walls challenges you try reading some new and different books.

It’s easy to take the Reading Without Walls challenge. All you have to do is follow these three steps:

1. Read a book about a character who doesn’t look like you or live like you.
2. Read a book about a topic you don’t know much about.
3. Read a book in a format you don’t normally read for fun (a chapter book, a graphic novel, a book in verse or an audiobook).

CPL invites you to take the Reading Without Walls challenge in October as we celebrate Choose Kind Month, which encourages everyone to celebrate kindness and empathy for others. You can also celebrate by attending one of our Choose Kind Month events.

I’m challenging myself to read these books in October:

Dara Palmer's Major Drama: Dara Palmer and I have one thing in common: We both like the theater! But Dara loves to be on stage, and I prefer to be behind the scenes. In fact, Dara loves to be on stage so much she knows she’ll get cast as the lead in her school’s musical. What happens when she doesn’t get the lead, but gets cast in the chorus instead?

The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk: Before learning about this book, I had never heard of the auk. The auk was a northern penguin that lived in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, but it is now extinct. I want to learn more about how and why there are no more great auks in the world.

Rebound: Rebound is a book in verse following 12-year-old Chuck Bell through the summer after his father's death. He's sent to his grandparents', which gives him the space to learn about his past and think about his future. This powerful story is the perfect book for me to try, because I don't normally read books in verse for fun.

What books will you choose to "read without walls" during Choose Kind Month?