Think of a book you loved as a child. What drew you to the story? How was it different than other books? What made the characters relatable and interesting? Did you see people who looked and talked like you reflected in the pages?
At Words Alive, we are dedicated to utilizing diverse, engaging texts relevant to the lives of the children, teens, and families we serve. Our most popular volunteer program, Page Turners, was created to gather the input of volunteers from a wide range of ages, backgrounds, geographical regions, and life experiences to select the titles most likely to spark a love of reading among Words Alive’s participants. The result has been a remarkable increase in high-quality, diverse books used throughout Words Alive’s programming, increasing the chances of young people finding books meaningful to them.
Page Turners is an international network of volunteers who read and review books for Words Alive, marking the first step in our curriculum pipeline.
The Page Turners process:
Participants select a book to read from our curated book list - books recommended to us and/or in consideration for use in our programs - and sign up to read it.
Volunteers obtain the book through a library, bookstore, e-book, etc., and read it at their own pace.
Upon completion of the text, Page Turners submit a detailed review form about the book covering everything from themes of the book to identities of authors/characters to the best age range for the text. Of course, feedback about how fun, engaging, and interesting the reader found the book is incredibly important as well. We particularly love hearing the opinions of tween and teen Page Turners - they are, after all, the experts on young adult books!
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind was the most-loved Page Turners title of 2023! If you purchase through this link, Words Alive receives a portion of the proceeds.
Originally created to address the overwhelming amount of book recommendations Words Alive received - far more than our small staff could evaluate - Page Turners has grown to become Words Alive’s most popular volunteer program, engaging over 1,500 unique volunteers since the program formed in 2019. The flexibility of the self-paced, virtual role appeals to a range of ages, abilities, and schedules, while the sheer joy of reading new books makes for a unique and fun volunteer opportunity!
In addition to benefiting Words Alive’s programs and curriculum, Page Turners also profoundly impacts the volunteers themselves. Page Turners titles are intentionally selected to represent diverse identities and situations rarely featured in literature. By reviewing books that represent the student populations that we serve, Page Turners are exposed to a diverse array of narratives and perspectives that they may not have come into contact with before.
“[Love Violet] painted a picture of a relationship that I had not previously thought deeply about,” says one Page Turners volunteer. “It gave me the opportunity to stretch my imagination which I believe will ultimately contribute further to my acceptance of people who are different from me. As a parent, I think this book helped give me vocabulary to discuss these topics with my child.”
Being able to contribute to an organization that prides itself on utilizing relevant, diverse texts is a strong motivation for many volunteers.
“I volunteer here because being able to ensure diverse books with accurate rep is something I had to search for,” says Jaz G., a longtime Page Turner. “So I want to help kids now find it.”
Whether Page Turners are reading and reviewing books from the heart of San Diego or thousands of miles away, their work is directly impacting the 5,000 children, teens, and families Words Alive serves each year. Thank you to every Page Turner who has taken the time to find the stories that inspire a love of reading in young San Diegans.