Bluffton teacher aims to get kids off phones by hiding books
Denise Bowers, a longtime Bluffton teacher, sits at her home with books she packages and leaves throughout town where children will find them. She said she was shocked into starting "Bluffton Kids Love Books" when she saw how many of her students were on electronics during morning bus duty at River Ridge Academy.
BLUFFTON - Denise Bowers was on morning bus duty when it hit her: Most of the kids she saw in the parking lot at River Ridge Academy were bent over their phones.
The longtime pre-kindergarten teacher was horrified.
"What can I do to get these kids outside and exercising?" she asked, calling during her one free period in the school day: nap time.
She thought about it. And then, in September, she took action.
"Welcome to Bluffton Kids Love Books!" she wrote on her new Facebook page under the same name. "Please post pictures of the books your children find around town. Please refill the book bag with a new or gently used book, and hide the bag somewhere in Bluffton. Have fun and keep reading!"
In two months, that simple call to action has led to hundreds of books found by young readers in Bluffton - and beyond.
Bowers said her process is simple. She and a few other volunteers, mostly teachers, will leave tightly sealed plastic bags in Bluffton where they know children will be: on playgrounds, at dance studios, in Walmart.
They all contain a children's book and a colorful sheet of rhyming instructions, signed with a heart by "The Bluffton Book Fairy."
"You've found this awesome book, and that is great! Pick it up and read it, don't hesitate. This book is for you to keep, but you still have a task to do. Please refill this bag with a book, old or new. Then hide it somewhere around Bluffton, so you can share some reading fun!"
Within days of her first book drop-off, Bowers saw results.
"Hidden book," a woman wrote above a picture of "Minnie: A Magical Story" in September. "Hope a little princess finds it."
Two weeks later, another woman commented: "Oh, she did! And then she shared it with her 2 big sisters and they did, too!" Under the comment was a photo of a small girl reading the same book.
"Minnie: A Magical Story" traveled as far as a box of life preservers in Bluffton Oyster Factory Park before it was picked up. But thanks to tourists, some of the books have made it much farther.
On Nov. 25, a guest post showed a copy of Robert Munsch's "More Pies!" propped up on a chair covered in images of Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat."
"This book made its way to a Kindergarten class in Chattanooga, TN!!," the caption read.
Bowers said she's been surprised by the reaction to her idea - and the number of new and gently used books people have sent her way. She said she eventually wants to grow the page into a nonprofit, one that supports middle and high school readers, too.
For now, she'll keep leaving books around to get kids away from technology and into the community.
"Friends will be out somewhere and hear other parents and their kids talk about the books," she said. "It's really nice."