by: Addison Lloyd, Senior at Carrollton High School
CARROLLTON, GA — This Valentine’s Day, Carrollton High School hosted its annual Blind Date with a Book event. Organized by CHS Senior John Cobb in collaboration with the CHS Book Club, books provided by donors were sold at the event to benefit the Ferst Readers organization.
The Blind Date with a Book event was designed to get students excited about reading by capturing their curiosity.
“Books are wrapped so you cannot see what you are purchasing, and a vague synopsis of the book is printed on the front of the package,” said CHS Media Specialist Stephanie Holloway, a facilitator of the event. “Since you do not know what book you purchase, we call it Blind Date with a Book.”
The tongue-in-cheek title is a perfect fit for the Valentine’s Day event. Hosted in the CHS library, students had the opportunity to enjoy the festive decor and browse a multitude of carefully wrapped books, reading brief labels pasted to each one to get a sense of what contents lay concealed beneath the red and pink paper. Once their ideal match was found, they could purchase and unwrap the book. Books of all genres were included at the event, appealing to the unique palette of every reader.
John Cobb organized the Blind Date with a Book event as his capstone International Baccalaureate Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) project for the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program.
“Blind Date with a Book is a fun way to connect individuals that love to read with stories that they may not have picked up otherwise,” said Cobb. “It allows people to discover new authors and genres, and enjoy the thrill of uncovering a book without prejudging it based on its cover or reputation.”
All proceeds from the event will be donated to Ferst Readers. Children in the Ferst Readers literacy program receive a bookstore-quality, age-specific book and accompanying resources mailed directly to their homes every month until their fifth birthday. This access to print helps foster a lifelong love of reading that starts at home.
Through this program, Carrollton High School students promote literacy and encourage students to fall in love with a book, all while supporting the next generation of young readers through their financial contributions.
