Canton Book Project's Book Givers Share Love Of Reading

Canton Township has 50 books awaiting new owners, and they could pop up anywhere: the grocery store, the farmer’s market, schools, senior centers, Girl Scout meetings.

The Canton Public Library provided the copies to ten book givers on April 10. The book givers were selected from a pool of applicants to serve as reading ambassadors and share their love of reading with people who, for whatever reason, don’t own books or read for pleasure. Book selections ranged from fiction to nonfiction, self-help to historical, philosophical to emotional, and reasons for applying varied.

“Reading is fundamental and perhaps the greatest way to open eyes and horizons,” Book Giver Janice Ford said. The former engineer chose Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters in hopes that the book will give girls a chance to connect with science, history and literacy. “I know that if there were books (when I was growing up) about women trying to solve math and science problems or work on design of inventions, I would have been so thrilled and perhaps even more focused on a career in science/engineering at an early age,” Ford said.

Tina Flint’s choice, The Giving Tree, reflected both her own reason for choosing the book and the Canton Book Project’s purpose. “Giving to others and being available when others need you is an honor in life. To share what you have with others is the best part of life!” she said.

Applicants included a nurse, a teacher, a student and more, all with varied interests and ideas on where to pass the books out. The scope of the project shows that reading can influence the lives of many types of people.

The full list of books to be shared through the Canton Book Project this year are as follows:

One Hundred Year of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, chosen by Cecelia Escobar

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, chosen by Kristin Felsburg

Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters by Andrea Beaty, chosen by Janice Ford

Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, chosen by Kari King

Bugged: The Insects Who Rule the World and the People Obsessed with Them by David Macneal, chosen by Hannah MacAfee

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis, chosen by Kelley Moote

Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide by Heather N. Holm, chosen by Charisse Nilles

Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt by David McCullough, chosen by Mike Simowski

For Everyone by Jason Reynolds, chosen by Jessika Whiteside

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, chosen by Tina Flint

The Canton Book Project just wrapped up its fifth year and has supplied the community with approximately 350 books.

For more information about the Canton Book Project, contact Laura Fawcett at fawcettl@cantonpl.org or 734-397-0999 ext. 1079.

The Canton Public Library is located at 1200 S. Canton Center Rd. Learn more about the library by visiting www.cantonpl.org or by calling the library at 734-397-0999.