National Book Foundation’s BookUp
Precious, a BookUp Student from CAMBA Kids, on what she loves about BookUp
Precious is an 8th grader from the CAMBA Kids program in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, who has participated in BookUp for two years. She’s going to high school next year, but she’ll take all of the good stuff she learned in BookUp with her.
Sarah and Orchid, BookUp Students from I.S. 318, on what they love about BookUp
Sarah and Orchid are 8th graders from the I.S. 318 program in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Sarah has been in BookUp for three years and Orchid for two years. They’re going to high school next year and took a couple minutes to look back on their experiences in BookUp during a field trip at the Brooklyn Public Library.
Photos from the April BookUpNYC Field Trip at the brooklyn public library
BookUp is an after-school program designed to motivate young people to stay involved with books and reading for pleasure throughout their middle-school years, with the hope they will develop into lifelong readers. The program introduces activities that emphasize reading as both fun and interactive. We have chosen to focus on middle-school students because studies show that this is the age when children are most at risk to stop reading.
All of the BookUp instructors are authors with extensive teaching experience, and they work closely with NBF and OST program staff on developing creative, reading-based activities designed to inspire young people to make books a part of their daily lives. Participants are encouraged to share their interests, discuss their previous “reading lives,” and suggest books, periodicals, and activities for the group.
Sessions are held weekly for
a minimum of 24 weeks over the course of the school
year in after-school programs in five New York City
public schools and community centers. In 2010, BookUp
launched its first site outside of New York City, working
in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Club of Brazos
Valley, Texas, novelist Angie Cruz, and 
Texas
A&M University. At all sites, the participants go
on field trips to bookstores, libraries, and other nearby
book-friendly locations. In addition to a variety of
materials, each student is given a budget of $25 to
purchase books at the bookstores they visit on field
trips. In New York City, students each receive a map
of New York City “Reading Hot Spots,” created
by Bloomberg in partnership with the National Book Foundation.
Ultimately, we hope to create new approaches to developing lifelong readers that can be adapted in after-school programs across the country.
Visit the BookUpNYC page for:
- Program Info
- Instructor Bios
- Participating Author Pages
- Video with Instructor Sofia Quintero
- Instructor Willie Perdomo's Recommended Reading List for Boys
- Books Read in BookUp
- Field Trip Locations
- Sample Activities