SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Pearl's & Ruby's
  • Politics in Practice
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Fusenews
  • Reviews
  • Librarian Previews
  • Best Books
    • Top 100
    • Best Books of 2022
    • Best Books of 2021
    • Best Books of 2020
    • Best Books of 2019
    • Best Books of 2018
    • Best Books of 2017
    • Best Books of 2016
    • Best Books of 2015
    • Best Books of 2014
    • Best Books of 2013
  • Fuse 8 n’ Kate
  • Videos
  • Press Release Fun

April 23, 2014 by Betsy Bird

World Book Night and a Proper Celebration of the Day of Shakespeare’s Birth

April 23, 2014 by Betsy Bird   2 comments

In terms of folks who share my birthday today, it’s a mixed bag.  On the one hand I got Shakespeare.  So . . . y’know.  That’s nice.  By the same token 4/23 was the reported date of the death of Cervantes.  On the other hand, I share my birthday with President James Buchanan.  Oog.  But then I also got Shirley Temple and Vladimir Nabokov.  Now THERE is a pairing for you!

So if we’re going to do this correctly we need to have something properly Shakespearean to celebrate today.  I suggest that you head on over to this site and read a version of The Hokey Pokey as written by the man in question.  It’s worth it alone for the line “Command sinistral pedestal to writhe.”

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

But wait!  There’s more!  Unless I much miss my guess tonight also is World Book Night.  What is it, you might ask?  Well, according to their website it says:

World Book Night is an annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading, person to person.  Each year on April 23, tens of thousands of people go out into their communities and give half a million free World Book Night paperbacks to light and non-readers.

World Book Night is about giving books and encouraging reading in those who don’t regularly do so. But it is also about more than that: It’s about people, communities and connections, about reaching out to others and touching lives in the simplest of ways—through the sharing of stories.

World Book Night is a nonprofit organization. We exist because of the support of thousands of book givers, booksellers, librarians, and financial supporters who believe in our mission. Successfully launched in the U.K. in 2011, World Book Night was first celebrated in the U.S. in 2012. Thank you to our U.K. friends for such a wonderful idea!

So there you go!  If you do nothing else today, just give somebody a book.  As the bard might have said, ’tis what it’s all about.

Filed under: Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
They say it's my birthday

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Kirkus, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Name That LEGO Book Cover! (#63)

by Travis Jonker

Good Comics for Kids

Paw & Order: The Grilled Cheese Caper | Review

by Esther Keller

Heavy Medal

Nine More Titles: May Mock Newbery 2026 Suggestion Titles

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Politics in Practice

When Book Bans are a Form of Discrimination, What is the Path to Justice?

by John Chrastka

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Boost teen reading with digital comics – start with these 5 recs! (Sponsored)

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Yarn

Pably Cartaya visits The Yarn

by Colby Sharp

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara on Collaboration, Comics Books, and Coming of Age

After 400 Years, Shakespeare’s Plays Hold Strong Teen Appeal

Author Trisha Tobias on YA Debut 'Honeysuckle and Bone’ | 5 Questions and a Rec

19 Amazing Audiobooks Adapted from Graphic Novels | Multimedia Audio Reviews

Aida Salazar on the Art of Translation, Truth, and the Language of Lyricism | The 2024 Stars Issue

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Kirkus, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karen Gray Ruelle says

    April 23, 2014 at 11:53 am

    Happy birthday, Betsy! You don’t look a day over 450 . . . oh, wait, that’s Shakespeare. 🙂
    We’re doing World Book Night for the third year in a row at my English in Action program and it’s a great bookish initiative. As Carl Lennertz would say, I’m one of the “giverati.” By the way, last night, I was at your former workplace on Fifth Avenue for the WBN launch and I can tell you, libraries got a lot of love from all the speakers.

  2. Sondy says

    April 23, 2014 at 3:37 pm

    Happy Birthday, Betsy Bird!

    That’s fun to say — maybe there’s a picture book in there….

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • External Links

    • A Fuse #8 Production Reviews
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books 2024
    • 2024 Stars So Far
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Pearls & Rubys
    • Politics in Practice
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • Reasons to Love Libraries
    • 2025 Youth Media Awards
    • Defending the Canon:SLJ & NCTE Review 15 Banned Classics
    • Refreshing the Canon Booklist
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Read Free Poster
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2025


    COPYRIGHT © 2025