Register to be a World Book Knight Giver in 2013 (25,000 Total FREE Books Given Out!)

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Yay – this awesome promotion is coming back again next year! If you love to read a good book and to tell other people about it, you may want to apply now (before January 23rd, 2013) to be a World Book Knight Giver.

On April 23rd, 2013, World Book Night, an annual celebration designed to spread a love of reading and books, will take place in the U.S. and U.K. and they’re looking for 25,000 volunteers to each hand out 20 copies of select book titles. That means they’ll be giving away a total of 500,000 FREE special World Book Night paperbacks! Wow! 😀

In order to be a book giver, you must be:

*Aged 16 or over and a resident of the U.S. (go here for the U.K./Ireland site)
*Able to pick up 20 copies of your book from your local bookshop or library
*Committed to giving your books away on World Book Night to non or light readers

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How Does it Work?

*Head on over here by January 23rd, 2013 and fill out the form to register to be a World Book Knight Giver.

*On the registration page, you’ll need to make 3 book choices and state why you’d like to participate and where you are thinking of going to give out your books. Keep in mind that World Book Knight Givers will be chosen based on where, to whom, and why you want to give books away.

*You will be notified in early February 2013 if you have been chosen to be a book giver and which of the three books they are able to provide you with. You will then choose at which local bookstore or library you’d like to pick up your box of books ahead of World Book Night (during the week of April 15th 2013).

*Then, on April 23rd, 2013, you’ll just need to go to a coffee shop or hospital, church or community center, an after-work party or train home, shopping mall or local school — and give out 20 FREE paperbacks. Keep in mind that these paperbacks will be specially-produced, not-for-resale World Book Night U.S. editions, and there will be 30 titles for you to choose from.

(Thanks, Stacey!)

Join The Discussion

Comments 31

  1. Alea

    I did this last year and it was actually a lot harder than I thought to pass out the books, everyone was worried that I wanted information or something from them that there had to be a catch. I’ll be applying again this year though, because I think reading is so important!! 🙂

    • Erica

      that’s awesome! glad to hear you will be doing it again 🙂

    • Dorinne

      I ended up just putting a few down in random places with a note that said, “Please take me and read me!” 🙂

    • Yvonne

      Do you have to purchase the books to give away?

      • Jesse

        No, if you get selected as a book giver, the donated books are given to you to give away, it is all free. I did this last year. I gave my box of books (The Lovely Bones) to my local Publix. I asked way ahead of time with the managers, and got the go ahead. They put the box of books in their break room, open to all employees to take one to read. It was super easy and worked out great. I love this program! I applied to do it again this year, and this year I’ll give my books to the folks at my local QFC (also a grocery store) if I get selected, pending manager approval of course.

        • Yvonne

          Thanks for the information. I am going to apply!

  2. Michelle

    Alea, me too. I noticed people going out of their way to walk faaar around me – LOL. I just want to give you a book!!!

    • Erica

      LOL too bad the people who don’t like to read will do anything to avoid reading 😉

      • Alea

        Not just reading – people are really hesitant to take anything from strangers, one year I had gift cards to pass out at the mall as part of a Pay It Forward challenge – same thing, “I don’t want you are selling”, “I don’t believe it’s actually free, you want my information for some list, etc” – even if you tell them there are absolutely NO strings attached, people don’t believe someone would just give them something free! :/

    • crystal

      Thanx. I did this last year at my campus It was great!!!

      • Rachel

        really? I had no problem giving them out!! maybe it depended on the book you had and if people had heard of it or not?

  3. Alicia

    Hehe, people were a little wary of us too but it got easier as the night wore on. Fun times, definitely doing it again!

  4. Ashley

    Do you have to buy these book that will be pasted out? Not really understanding…sorry!

    • Rachel

      Read my comment below

  5. Rachel

    I did this last year nad gave out the books at my local food shelf. It was awesome! Consider something like that, rather than just on the street. Ashley, you do not pay for them, they are shipped to you for free! It’s a program to increase reading!

  6. Danielle

    This was AMAZING last year. We had such a great response! People were coming up to us after they saw other people with books. can’t wait to do it again!

  7. Tawanda

    I also participated in this this activity, and my students were thrilled to receive books. I’m working at a new school, so this will be great for them!

  8. Sunny

    I did this last year and it was great. I had the Hunger Games and passed them out at a lower socioeconomic school with the help of a teacher. Alot of the kids had not owned a book of their own before. I only wish I would have had alot more. They were gone in 10 minutes. The students were so excited and jumping for joy.

    • Dawn

      You were lucky to get The Hunger Games! 🙂 I got Wintergirls which I didn’t even have as one of my choices, boo. I did read it and it was kind of scary about Anorexia, but no one wanted it! I even tried to donate it to the eating disorder center where I live, but they said they didn’t want it, which I though was interesting, as it’s a fiction book that was researched about the disorder and I thought some of their patrons could benefit from reading that perspective. Oh well. I finally begged them off someone else because I could NOT get rid of them.

      • Becky

        I actually asked for Wintergirls as my first choice and got Glass Castle (awesome book!). My daughter and some of her classmates read Wintergirls and thought it was worthwhile. That’s sad no one seemed to want it.

  9. poki2000@yahoo.com

    I also did it last year my book choice was Friday Night Lights as I am huge football fan. It was fantastic I went to shoprite on Senior Citziens day they were estastic to get something for free. It was a wonderful experience I am already signed up for this year.

    • Diane

      I got Friday Night Lights last year, too, and it was so much fun to be able to give away the books. This is a great program!

  10. Mollie

    I did this last year, and it was great! I think the response just depends on your audience. Personally I too am skeptical at a grocery store or other retail venue of someone who appear to be trying to sell me something, but libraries, coffee shops, etc. might provide a more receptive audience.

  11. dawn

    i did this last year, i gave them to one of my kids teachers, so appreciated for the high schoolers! hopefully get picked again this year!

  12. Catie

    I did this last year and really enjoyed it is well!

  13. Dee J

    I also did this last year for our church’s food pantry. They keep books on hand to give the children whose parents need food. 30 copies of the book Because of Winn Dixie were very appreciated and I got a great feeling to be a part of it!

  14. metsgirl61

    Thanks so much!! I truly hope I can do this 🙂

  15. Jasmin

    I hope I get Picked!! I would love to give a book to the girls at a group home for girls that have aged out of the foster care system and are learning to get jobs etc.. i was lucky growing up tht books were available to me..and i love to read. I hope to be able to spread the joy of reading to these young ladies!!

  16. Sara

    I just recieved an email saying I’ve been selected. Email said I will recieve another email in the next week with more information.

    • jc010462

      I got the email too! I am excited!

  17. Kelly W.

    I got selected! How exciting!

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