Make a Book Day takes place on the Thursday during National Family Reading Week, a week that began in 1995 with the intention of bringing families together to read. This year, it takes place on May 11. While families read together every night this week, Make a Book Day reminds us that books must be made before they can be read!
History of Make a Book Day
Books have served as a path to the dissemination of information, the telling of stories, and the expanding of the intellect by documenting and transmitting these concepts through a written medium. They have been critical to humanity for ages and expand their ideas beyond physical space and time.People have evolved the ability to share and expand their thoughts by putting them on paper for others to read. The first recorded word is thought to have occurred in 3400 B.C., and the first story was “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” a mythical account of the eponymous monarch of Sumerian Uruk, who ruled between 2700 B.C. and 2500 B.C.Make A Book Day urges everyone, both adults and children, to read as many books as they can to learn new things, live creative lifestyles, and open their minds to new types of thinking and possibilities. This isn’t the only day that people should be reading and creating new books, but ideally, it will spark a thirst for knowledge and the joy that can be found between the pages of a book.Channel your inner author today and put pen to paper. Explore the written word in all its glorious forms. Whether it’s poetry or prose, let your imagination run wild. Create new worlds and share your ideas with others through the art of storytelling.
Make a Book Day timeline
Sumerians carve their alphabet into clay tablets.
A book is printed in China using woodblocks with characters on them.
Penguin Books co-founders, Sir Allen Lane and his brothers John and Richard, introduce cheap paperback prints.
The Kindle reading device is unveiled, allowing users to store thousands of books digitally and access them on the go.
Make a Book Day FAQs
How was the very first book written?
The first books were written by hand, and then block printing was utilized in China during the Tang Dynasty, followed by the printing press, which became commercially available around 1450.
How can I start writing?
Take baby steps. Make it a routine. Don’t give up. Don’t censor yourself. Simply keep going.
How do libraries organize books?
Books are first categorized according to their topic, subtopic, or genre. The books are then shelved alphabetically by title or author’s last name by librarians.
Make a Book Day Activities
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Help out your neighborhood bookstores
Neighborhood bookshops add so much to the life of a community! Visit local bookstores and buy as many books as your arms can carry.
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Organize a book club
The only thing better than reading a good book is discussing it with others who share your enthusiasm. Celebrate Make a Book Day by organizing a book club with friends and family.
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Educate others
Perhaps not many people realize how much time and effort it takes to write a book. Celebrate this day by showcasing it to others who are unaware of the process, so they may realize how valuable writers are.
5 Facts About Books That Will Blow Your Mind
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Endless volumes
There are over 130 million books published around the world.
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Sacred text
The “Bible” is the most-sold book.
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Big bucks
The world’s most expensive book, “The Codex Leicester” written by Leonardo da Vinci, was sold in 1994 for $30.8 million.
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It's good for our vocabulary
Reading teaches children between 4,000 and 12,000 words every year.
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A lifetime of reading
The Guinness World Records claim that John Q. Benham of Indiana, U.S., owns the world’s largest private book collection with over 1.5 million volumes.
Why We Love Make a Book Day
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It makes us value literature more
Understanding the laborious process that goes into making books available will instill a sense of appreciation in us for books. It enables us to treat books with the respect they deserve.
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It links us to others
This day brings together a diverse group of book lovers to celebrate. Relationships are formed between like-minded individuals, and ideas are shared as a result.
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Writing is an art form
Writers can entertain, move, and, on occasion, change us. Books drastically expand our horizons. They don't just give us knowledge; they also give us the chance to see the world through the eyes of someone else.
Make a Book Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | May 5 | Thursday |
| 2023 | May 11 | Thursday |
| 2024 | May 9 | Thursday |
| 2025 | May 8 | Thursday |
| 2026 | May 7 | Thursday |
