New book craze takes over town
BOOKS are being sealed in plastic bags and hidden in secret locations as part of a craze quietly sweeping through Welsh towns and cities.
Called Look for a Book, the scheme has already taken off in Swansea and now it has reached Maesteg.
The concept is a simple one – it’s a game of hide and seek with books for children and adults to make reading fun again. Books, sealed in a plastic bag, have been hidden in many secret locations, and come with the message: “Hello you are the lucky finder of this book. We hope you enjoy it.”
Clues as to their whereabouts are posted on the Look for a Book Maesteg Facebook page. It was started by Amy Colbridge and her eight-year-old daughter Ella-May.
Amy said: “I saw the idea happening in Swansea and explained it to my eight-year-old daughter, who wanted to start the idea around here. She found seven books she no longer wanted and we hid them. A few we’ve hidden have been found straight away and seeing the children get all excited and happy is so rewarding.”
Initially the books were hidden in parks and play areas but local businesses in Maesteg are starting to get involved by offering their premises.
One of the first children to find a book was Kaiden Budd. His mum Lisa said he was “so pleased” to make the discovery.
Another youngster, Megan-Bee Kirby, who is a pupil at Ysgol Cynwyd Sant, could hardly wait to get out the house to look for one, said her mum Ruth Kirby.
“Megan-Bee was out the door within a halfhour of this group,” she said. “She’s an absolute bookworm and was over the moon with her find. She’s fallen in love with the book, though, so hid one of her own.”
Since asking for unwanted books, Amy has been inundated with posts and suggestions from parents all over Maesteg.
It has proved so popular, Amy is also working to get the Look for a Book idea into Bridgend.
To get involved, all you have to do is put a preloved book in a sealable, reusable plastic bag if possible, together with a note and hide this somewhere in a safe public place for someone to find and enjoy.
Amy has suggested people write the following note: “Hello. You are the lucky finder of this book. We hope you enjoy it. You can choose to take it away to read, pass it on to someone else to enjoy or leave it for someone else to find. Keep it as long as you please.
“When you have finished with it, remember to sign and date inside the cover and re-hide it for someone else to enjoy – or you could hide a new book. Feel free to share photos, clues or tell others about your book hunt on our Facebook group. Search: Look for a Book Maesteg.”