LITTLETON, Colo. – Reading and writing are fundamental skills, which is why Denver7 and other Scripps Stations take part in the “If You Give A Child A Book…” campaign every year.
Books aren’t just for little kids are adults. Teens are very passionate about their books, which is why many of them part of the Tattered Cover’s Teen Advisory Board.
“We just get to talk about books which is awesome,” high school junior Natalie Parkhurst told Denver7 during a recent meeting.
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The TAB meets monthly at both the Tattered Cover’s Colfax and Aspen Grove locations. The teens talk about books they’ve read, but they also get a chance to read books before they even get on store shelves. Then, they are tasked with writing reviews about those books that appear on the store’s website.
For these teens, a love of reading is something that began at a young age and isn’t going change any time soon.
“One time I sat on my chair and read for five hours straight reading a book because it was so intriguing,” remembered freshman Andrew Hunter.
“My mom used to catch me reading under my covers with a little fake candle,” eighth grader Maise Bogitch said while explaining why groups like TAB make such a huge difference in the lives of book-loving teens. “It's hard because I want to talk about books and I need a place where I can be creative because you know, books take you to different worlds.”
Bethan Strout is the director of book buying for the Tattered Cover. Working with the Teen Advisory Board is one her favorite parts of her job.
“The kids who come are so engaged, so interested, so excited that it kinds of reminds me to be excited about books,” Strout said.
Besides the discussions they are a part of at their monthly meetings, TAB members get many other opportunities throughout the year. They can volunteer to escort authors at book-signings, talk with authors about writing and even meet with other people involved with the publishing industry to learn what it takes to turn ideas into successful published books. Those opportunities often open the teens’ minds to different career opportunities.
“There are so many different authors and different books than what you see on the New York Times' best seller grocery shelf,” Parkhurst said. “There are so many books published every year and talking to them about their process and how they got there is really interesting.”
The Teen Advisory Board meets about every month. For more information, visit the Tattered Cover’s website.