Book drive has read on benefiting, creating young writers

There’s still time to donate books to the National Novel Writing Month Book Drive to benefit their free Young Writers Program – even though it’s too late to try writing an entire novel in November.

NaNoWriMo (as participants call it) has reached The End this year, so you’ve missed your chance to pen a bestseller, or at least put 50,000 consecutive words on paper, in a mere 30 days. But the charitable arm of the group behind the annual word marathon, the Office of Letters and Light, is attempting to collect 5,000 books in Pittsburgh alone by Dec. 15 to sell online. The effort will benefit its programs that encourage school kids to attempt fiction and scripts of their own. The Young Writers Program offers everything from downloadable lesson plans to forums for teachers and students – and occasionally the loan of laptops for student use.

Kelly Thomas, local volunteer book-drive coordinator, hopes this will aid both local schools’ efforts to increase reading proficiency and the need for top communications skills in the job world.

“Even though this is fiction we’re talking about” during NaNoWriMo, says Thomas, “writing in general is one of the most important skills you can have once you finish school and enter the workforce. Every job application I’ve looked at in the past two years has asked for a candidate who can communicate clearly.”

The group has collected n early 2,000 books so far. Donation can be dropped off at Phantom of the Attic in Oakland, Squirrel Hill’s 61C Café, Bistro Soul on the North Side and Robert Morris University’s Nicholson Center in Moon. Arrange for the pick-up of large loads by contacting Kelly Thomas.

Writer: Marty Levine

Source: Kelly Thomas

Image courtesy Kelly Thomas