This week PaperTigers launched its Spirit of PaperTigers Project (SPT) which involves the donating of book sets for children to libraries and schools in developing countries.   With the recent earthquake in Haiti, people’s hearts and minds are focused on how they can assist this particular developing country in this time of need.  When asked about where author of one of the SPT book set titles, Bolormaa Basaansen, would like her books sent, she said:

I would like to send it to every country in the world! But right now, I would like to send it to Haiti, most of all. Now, after the earthquake, its people, especially the children, are going through very hard times.  I like to imagine the children of Haiti forgetting their current hardships even just for a moment, by immersing themselves in a picture book.

It is true that even ‘just for a moment,’ books can provide a release and so much more.   And the ‘so much more’ part of the equation is what the SPT project is all about.  After all the aid and rescue teams have departed from Haiti, its citizens will have to begin anew the task of rebuilding their society.    Goals like providing a basic education for its children and increasing literacy will become more apparent in the coming months and years of recovery ahead.

Two weeks ago,  I mentioned IBBY’s Fund for Children in Crisis.  They have a project in Haiti with ongoing and current news available on their website.  Other organizations that have come to my attention for their work in Haiti on the educational front are EMAS (Educational Medical Aid Society) and Yéle Haiti.  Perhaps you know of organizations like these that are doing good work in Haiti.  Leave us a link in the comments section to share a website of an organization you know of that promotes education and literacy in developing countries like Haiti.  While it has not yet been determined where the SPT book sets will go — there are considerations of language since the SPT books are in English — places like Haiti will be the target locations.

Giving books to children may seem like a small step but it is a step that PaperTigers feels worth taking through this special Spirit of PaperTigers outreach initiative.

Today we are thrilled to be announcing our Spirit of PaperTigers Project, an initiative of Pacific Rim Voices, whose aim is to promote literacy while raising awareness of our common humanity. The idea is to donate 100 book sets of 7 carefully selected multicultural books to libraries and schools in areas of need across the globe.

The following titles have been selected for inclusion in the 2010 Book Set:

Planting The Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai, by Claire A. Nivola. Frances Foster Books, 2008.

First Come the Zebra, by Lynne Barash. Lee & Low, 2009.
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Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing, by Guo Yue and Clare Farrow, illustrated by Helen Cann. Barefoot Books, 2008.

The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos, by Lucia Gonzalez, illustrated by Lulu Delacre. Children’s Book Press, 2008.

My Little Round House, by Bolormaa Baasansuren, English adaptation by Helen Mixter. Groundwood Books, 2009.

One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, by Katie Smith Milway, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes. Kids Can Press, 2008.

Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, by Grace Lin. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009.

Our website currently highlights all the authors and illustrators whose books have been selected, as well as other features related to the project. Please note that we will be further exploring the particular reasons for selecting each title, here, on the blog, during the month of February.

One important aspect of the Spirit of PaperTigers project is that we will be receiving feedback from the book set recipients. In the course of the coming months, as feedback comes in, we will be posting it to the blog and the site, so everyone can find out about where the books are going and who they are reaching.

To learn more about the project and enjoy the new features, visit the website. And please help us spread the word on this exciting new venture!…