The document describes the 1000 Book Club program started at Plymouth River Elementary School in Hingham, Massachusetts. The program aims to get preschool and kindergarten children to read 1000 books over two years by checking out book bags containing 10 books every two weeks. It details how the school obtained books, built book racks, held kickoff events, offered story times, and celebrated reading milestones to encourage children and their families to read together. Contact information is provided for anyone wanting to start a similar program at their own school.

1. !
1000 Book Club Program
!
Plymouth River Elementary School
Hingham, MA
Elizabeth Danis ~ Reading Specialist
Laura Donovan ~ Kindergarten Teacher
Sue McHugh ~ Kindergarten Teacher

2. Starting a 1000 Book Club
• The following slides represent how the Plymouth
River Elementary School in Hingham,
Massachusetts started a 1000 Book Club.
• If you would like additional information please
contact Laura Donovan:
ldonovan@hinghamschools.org
• Or visit our website:
http://hpswebs.hinghamschools.com/prs/thousandbookclub

3. What is the 1000 Book Club?
The 1000 Book Club Program is a reading program designed for
preschoolers, kindergartners and their families.
!
The program’s goals are:
• To have quality literature readily available so that each
child will have a two-year period to hear 1000 stories.
• To help children develop a lifetime bond with reading and
books.
• To provide incentives for families to read with their
children.
• To foster a positive connection between home and school.
• To ease the transition from preschool to kindergarten by
frequent visits to the “big school” for book bag selections
and story times.

4. Overview of the program
•
•
•
•
Each spring, eligible preschool children and their
parents attend a “Kick Off” event at our school. They
hear details of how the program works and then
select their first bag (of 10 books) to bring home.
They will return that bag within two weeks and then
select another bag. They will continue to do this until
they have read 100 bags (1000 books) or “graduate”
from the program at the end of kindergarten.
When a child completes one of the “milestones” of
25, 50, 75, or 100 bags he/she will receive a certificate,
ribbon, t-shirt or trophy, respectively.
These preschoolers are invited to attend Story Times
at our school.

5. Initial Funding
• The committee applied for and was awarded
several grants.
• It is possible to ask for some financial assistance
from your PTO. We did not use PTO funds as we
preferred to keep this program a staff-run program
rather then a PTO-run program.

6. Getting the books
• A book drive was held that collected nearly two
thousand “gently-used” books.
• Additional books were “purchased” through
Scholastic Book Club bonus points.
• Books were entered into a computer-based
database, sorted by genre, bundled into groups of
ten, and labeled with a 1000 Book Club sticker.
• A total of 2,400 books (all unique titles) are being
used in this program. (Our yearly kindergarten
population is around 100 students per year.)

7. We collected
almost 2000
books!! We did
not include any
duplicate titles.
Book Drive

8. The Book Bags
•
•
•
A local graphic printer/designer sponsored our
program and significantly reduced the price of
the bags.
Committee members and volunteers helped to
resize 240 bags from a shoulder strap to a hand
strap (30 extra replacement bags were done
also.)
Each bag was labeled with a number 1-240. We
have 240 bags from which members choose just
100.

9. In order to get highquality bags, we needed
to get tote bags that had
shoulder straps and
resize them.
Book Bags
Original bag
before our
logo and
resizing.
Our bag after
our logo and
resizing.

10. The Book Racks
•
•
Two parent volunteers built the racks,
put a protective finish on them and
delivered them to school.
The lumber, hardware and time was all
donated.

11. The Book Racks
One PRS family
donated all the lumber
and two other families
built the racks.

12. The Bag Stuffing Event
•
•
•
Volunteers from the school community, as well
as from one of our sponsors (Talbots) stuffed
book bags.
Each volunteer was given a box that contained
10 stacks of 10 books, 10 book bags, 100 clear
labels, 10 book lists, 10 sign-out cards and a set
of directions for stuffing each bag.
Each bag was assembled and then hung on its
numbered hook on a book rack.

13. These women were
all from Talbots ~
one of our sponsors.
Bag Stuffing

14. Our Principal Helping with the
Bag Stuffing
Our principal
has given this
program 100%
support.

15. Contents of a Bag
Each bag contains 10
books, a sign-out
card, a photo book list
and sign-out
procedure sheet.

16. The Book Racks
Our principal allowed
us to use this corner
of the cafeteria for the
1000 Book Club.

17. Sign Out Box
Organization is the
key to making this
self-service program
user-friendly!

18. Families keep
track of which
bags they have
checked out.
Record Sheet
The paper work is
colored coded to
identify each “year” of
the program.

19. This at-home record
sheet is for families.
They add one sticker
each time they finish a
bag.

20. The Story Time Corner
•
•
•
•
A corner of the cafeteria was designated as the
1000 Book Club Corner.
Talbots agreed to sponsor the corner by donating
the funds for the rugs and fabric for the walls.
Committee members redesigned an inviting corner
with fabric and story book characters that were
created by a parent/graphic artist.
This corner is home to the book racks and the
Story Times for preschoolers.

21. Story Time Corner
The book racks are
on wheels and are
easily rolled out to
create this cozy
Story Time Corner.

22. •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Annual Kick-Off
Local preschools passed out invitations. (We now do
this mostly through email and e-newsletters.)
Parents register online. We use Google Forms to
create a registration page for the kick-off.
Another parent donated gift certificates for the
Munchkins that would be served at the kick-off.
High school students earned community service
points by helping out at the kick-off.
42 families attended the Inaugural kick-off.
These families were shown a PowerPoint
presentation that outlined the program.
The children heard a story read by a committee
member.
Families checked out their first book bag.

23. “If you build
it… they will
come!”
The Kick-Off

24. Kick-Off Story Time
This story was read
as the children
looked at enlarged
illustrations from the
book.

25. Selecting the First Bag
The children had
240 bags from
which to choose!

26. This wonderful
scene is repeated
over and over again
as preschoolers
continue to select
new bags!

27. Story Times
•
•
•
Occasionally, the children in the 1000 Book Club
are invited to visit the “Big School” to hear
stories and sing songs.
A book bag exchange takes place after the Story
Time.
Guest readers such as our principal, some of our
sponsors, the head of the English department,
and former teachers have volunteered to read.

28. Story Times
Just look at their
faces! They love
listening to
stories.

29. Children can choose to
receive their incentives
at our All-School
Meeting.
Incentives

30. More Incentives
75 Bags ~ 750 Books
100 Bags ~ 1000 Books

31. Additional Program Income
•
•
To keep money coming into the program for
expenses such as incentives, replacement
books, yearly kick-offs, and miscellaneous
supplies we offer families an opportunity to
donate a bag in honor of (or in recognition of or
in memory of) someone special.
Adults whose children have reached 75 bags
(750 books) may purchase a t-shirt for
themselves.

32. Donation Tags
Bags can be donated
in honor of someone
special.
Tags are hung from the straps of
the book bags. They may be
purchased for $25 per bag.

33. Our Bumper Sticker!
Our graphic designer gave us a
discounted price on these in exchange
for a link to his site. Our bumper
sticker is on his site along with several
other non-profit organizations.

34. We created a website
where families can
register online and get
important information.

35. Volunteers
•
•
•
•
Bag checkers
Purchase supplies and food for kickoff
Publicity
Nursery School contact person

36. The 1000 Book Club Program was
awarded the Massachusetts Reading
Association (MRA) Sylvia D. Brown
award in March of 2007.

37. For more information:
http://hpswebs.hinghamschools.com/PRS/thousandbookclub
ldonovan@hinghamschools.org

38. Elizabeth Danis ~ Reading Specialist
Laura Donovan ~ Kindergarten Teacher
Sue McHugh ~ Kindergarten Teacher
Plymouth River School ~ Hingham, MA
Program Model ~ Birchwood Elementary ~ Niskayuna, NY