TREASURE TRAIN

My Scottish Book Trust Reader In Residence post came to a conclusion at the end of September.  A fantastic year working with Scottish Borders Libraries promoting the library service and reading across the Scottish Borders.

Thanks to all the staff and all who participated in the many and varied events held during the last year.

I've mentioned the Treasure Train before but below is a guide to how it worked.  If you wish to use it or adapt it for your own library event please do.

I've also uploaded an example of a  'carriage' on the Treasure Train.

SCOTTISH BORDERS LIBRARIES READER IN RESIDENCE. TOM MURRAY

TREASURE TRAIN: AN INTERGENERATIONAL PROJECT

AIMS:

--Through a love of books read as children various generations of a family brought together to share memories of their favourite childhood reading through discussion, writing and drawing.

--For the children to witness their mother/father/grandparents enthusiasm for reading and to see them not just as adults but as fellow readers.

--To encourage adults to re visit childhood books to re kindle a love of reading if needed by connecting with their individual reader’s memories.

--For adults to see reading not as an obligation or something from their distant past but as an activity that creates family memories.  For both adults and children to see the library as a place where those family memories are created.

--Building partnerships across agencies.

--Inclusive and encourages discussion of all types of reading ie: novels; comics.

FORMAT    

Duration:   60 minutes

PART ONE

--Intro:  All families together in one group.

             : Publicity for event to encourage both adults and children to bring their

               favourite childhood book.

      :Reader In Residence to explain format including show example of   

       a Treasure Train.  

      :to share his/her own childhood reading. 

      :to read from his/her favourite book. 

      :to encourage families to do the same to the wider group.

        

PART TWO

Discussing/drawing/writing:  families find their own space.

Each family work together to write down and/or draw their own individual and family

experiences/memories of reading.

Some questions to ask themselves to get started.

--favourite character(s) and why.

--what age when first read.

--how did they get the book—library/present.

--what was the cover like.

Idea:   See example.

Each A4 sheet of paper represents a carriage on a family Treasure Train.

One carriage for each memory of a childhood book.

Each member of the family works on their own carriage. 

Each member of the family can have as many carriages as they wish.

At the conclusion they join all the carriages together for one whole family

Treasure Train with a front page of the family name.

Optional they can draw as a family a train engine on a separate A4 sheet to lead the

carriages.

The length of the train is endless.  It can be added to later at home or other

members of the family not at event can add their memories.

PART THREE

Bring families together again in one space.

Encourage to discuss and share with wider group.

Families take Treasure Train home with them encourage to continue and add to.

Encourage to take books out of the library. Adults could borrow other books from same author of favourite book or other books remembered during event.       

MATERIALS

Reader In Residence favourite book.

Libraries display of childhood books from stock.

A4 paper.

Coloured pens/pencils/erasers/staplers.

Example of a 'carriage.'