The student and staff team at Westerville South High School’s media center is playing matchmaker through the end of February, connecting students with stories and authors they may not have read or considered reading before.
As part of the Blind Date with a Book initiative, students can select books wrapped in newspapers without knowing the story hidden underneath.
“The idea is that you can’t judge a book by its cover to know it’s good,” WSHS librarian Brandi Young said. “You should try books because you like books not because you’re into one genre.”
Young has hosted Blind Date with Book events in previous years in February, varying up how she presents them to students. Last year, for instance, she offered hints to the story and genre on the packaging.
“In previous years, it’s been pretty popular,” she said. “I haven’t been able to keep books on the shelf.”
Young hasn’t provided many clues to this year’s selection. The wrapped books, which went on display at the media center’s entrance on Tuesday, feature directions on the front on how to rate their “date” and submit their responses to enter a raffle for a Valentine’s Day basket.
Young’s student workers chose the blind date books, selecting titles from various genres and subject matter they thought their peers would enjoy, such as Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief, which is part of the Percy Jackson series and offers a gateway to fantasy fiction.
So far, 50 books have been selected for the Blind Date with a Book initiative but Young said she will pull more to meet demand.