You can design a cover for your favourite book, for a book you are going to read, or a book that doesn’t exist yet (maybe you can write it one day).

Think about what book covers look like. They are often eye-catching to get you to choose them in the bookshop or library. Book covers show a title and the name of the author. They can also have pictures of characters, places or things from the book. The back cover of books sometimes have a blurb, a short description of what happens in the story. There might also be a review, what someone thought of the book.

Start by folding a piece of A4 paper in half (like a card), then use your choice of craft materials to create the front cover of your book. Make sure to add the book title and the author’s name. On the back cover add a blurb, a review, or a picture of the author.

Show your book cover to your Beaver Leader.

You can read fiction or non-fiction physical books, e-books, or listen to audiobooks.

Tell your Beaver Leader which books you have read, which one was your favourite and why.

Here are some great places to get reading recommendations:
• Your friends, family, teachers or Beaver Leaders
• Your local library
• Empathy Lab
• World Book Day
• Summer Reading Challenge
• Great Books Guide 

 Stories live forever, but if we don’t take care of the pages in which they are bound, physical and digital books can grow old before their time. It is important to take care of your books, so that you, your friends and family can enjoy them for years to come.

Think about how to take care of books in your own collection, belonging to friends or family, and at your local library. Think about how to take care of e-reader and audiobook devices.

Tell your Beaver Leader about how to look after a book.

Question Time

Q Is it a good idea to store books on the floor?
A No. People could slip on them or kick them, or the book could get dirty.

Q Is it OK to have a drink while you’re reading a book?
A Yes – but only if you’re careful, pay attention, and keep the drink safely away from the book on a stable surface.

Q Should you store books in the oven?
A No. They’d catch on fire!

Q Should you write on the pages of a book to help you remember things?
A No. This ruins the book for other people.

Q Can you eat while you’re reading a book?
A Yes – but only if you’re sure you won’t drop any food on the book. Some things are probably easier to eat while reading than others.

Q Should you fold over the corner of a page to remember which page you’re on?
A No. This makes the pages dog-earned and could even rip them. Use a bookmark instead.

Q Is it a good idea to store books in a cupboard?
A Yes. Even though you wouldn’t be able to see the books easily, a cupboard would keep them safe.

Did you think of these ways to take care of books and e-readers?

• Don’t throw books or e-readers around.
• Put them back on the shelf, or in a similar safe place, after reading them.
• Protect books and e-readers by making sure they aren’t left outside.
• Have clean, dry hands before reading.
• Use a bookmark instead of folding the pages of physical books.
• Keep food and drinks away from books and e-readers.
• Wipe the screen of e-readers.
• Don’t colour in or draw on physical books.

We don’t often finish a good book all at once, but how can we remember where we got to? Think about ways you can remember how far into the book you have read.

How many ways can you think to mark your page that do not damage the book? Did you think of bookmarks?

Bookmarks help people remember where they’ve got to without damaging the book. Bookmarks can be made from lots of different materials including, paper, card, fabric, leather, ribbon, wood, and plastic.

You can choose to make a monster bookmark with the instructions below or create your own design. 

Show your Beaver Leader your finished bookmark and tell them how you would use it.

Mark my words – Making a monster bookmark

• Help from an adult
• A4 card
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Googly eyes
• Glue stick
• Coloured pens or pencils
• Hole punch
• Pipe cleaners

1. Think about the monster bookmark you would like to create.
2. Cut a strip of card about 15cm tall and 6cm wide.
3. Cut two 8cm long slits 2cm apart down the middle of the strip of card.
4. Cut across the bottom of the two slits to make a monster nose. It can be round, pointy, or even spiky.
5. Stick googly eyes or draw eyes above your monster’s nose. Your monster can have one, two, three, or many eyes.
6. Punch one or two holes at the top of your bookmark to make antennae for your monster.
7. Thread pipe cleaners through the punch holes and twist them until they are secure. You can bend your monster’s antennae into any shape you like, wiggles, zig-zags, or even spirals.
8. Decorate your monster bookmark with coloured pens or any other craft materials.
9. Once your bookmark is dry, test your monster bookmark. Slot your monster’s nose onto the page you want to mark with it’s eyes and antennae poking above the book.

Mark My Words – Making a Monster Bookmark from Scouts on Vimeo.

Your local library is packed full of books, but libraries are also hubs for communities. This means there is usually much more going on at the library than book borrowing. Many libraries also have e-books, audiobooks, and even films that you can borrow. Libraries can also contain local archives full of important and historical information about where you live. Many local groups for babies, toddlers, children and adults meet at their local libraries and all sorts of activities take place there, like storytime, arts and crafts, study groups, and language lessons.

What does your local library look like? What sorts of things can you borrow or use? What information, activities, and services are on offer? How does your local library organise their books? Did you find a section for your age group? Did you ask the library staff for help or recommendations?

Imagine opening your own library. You could draw a picture or make a model of your library, write down your ideas, or start your own little library with your own book collection. 

What would your library look like?

How would you protect your books from the wear and tear of being read by lots of different people?

How many books would you have in your library, and what genres would you include?

What would visitors be able to do, see, hear or make there?

What services would people be able to access at your library?

How would you make sure that it appeals to people of different ages?

Do you and your family own any well-loved, tattered, or damaged books? Instead of throwing them out, set up your own book hospital! Make sure to ask your adult if it is ok to help your chosen book patient.

Think about different reasons that books might need treatment at book hospital. Some may have broken spines, torn pages, or dog-eared pages; others may have scribbles on the pages, or food and drink stains. Do you have any poorly books?

Diagnose the book’s injuries, and think about how they may have happened. For example, a book with dog-eared pages may have had its pages folded down to keep someone’s place. Maybe a book with food and drink stains was read by a messy eater!

Work to bring the book back to health. Tape up tears and broken spines, sponge or brush off marks, erase pencil marks, or make a new cover for the book from paper or wrapping paper.

Think about what you’ll do with the book now that it’s better and ready to be enjoyed again.