Book of Awesome author visits Westwood to highlight power of books
New York Times bestselling author Neil Pasricha visits Westwood elementary to share Awesome is Everywhere.
The latest book by New York Times bestselling author Neil Pasricha – whose hit The Book of Awesome became an international sensation – is a great children’s book titled Awesome is Everywhere.
But on the morning of October 29, awesome was certainly found inside the gym at Westwood Elementary School packed with its excited students in JK to Grade 5.
“1-2-3, Awesome!” the crowd of students shouted with Pasricha before he led them through an energizing tale of his new book, and being an author. He read his new book, which is an interactive travel story and relaxing five-minute mediation wrapped into one. He wants young and old to learn how to take a break – to be mindful, to notice common things, to step away from the stresses of our busy lives.
“I wrote this book to teach my son the power of attitude and awareness,” said Pasricha, 36, originally from Oshawa. His son is 18 months old. “I hope the book encourages (readers) to notice the world around them, and to become engaged citizens and leaders of Canada.”
The visit was part of a larger effort called the Awesome Project, a literacy initiative to give children their very own books and to foster the love of reading. Project partners include First Book Canada, Rakuten Kobo and Penguin Random House Canada.
“Reading is everything,” Superintendent of Student Achievement Michael Prendergast told the Westwood students. “First, you learn to read and then you read to learn – and you can learn anything.”
Tom Best, executive director of First Book Canada, said he “has the best job in the world” because he gets to give out books so that every child in Canada has books of their own to keep.
Every Grade 1 student at Westwood received a copy of Awesome is Everywhere. Each school on this week’s tour, including Westwood, received 1,500 brand new books and a $1,000 grant to purchase books and Kobo eReaders. Kobo purchases can also contribute to books for kids – find details at www.kobo.com/awesome.
At Westwood, Pasricha asked students what an author does and received some entertaining answers: “They go to the park… They see their Mom and Dad… They write books.” He explained how he worked with professional photographers and the Discovery Channel to stitch 30-40 images together to create the hyper-realism of the book’s gorgeous two-page-wide photos.
And, true to his reputation for finding the awesome in everyday life, he even found a moment at Westwood he labelled his awesome moment of the day: “I’m 36 years old and walking into the school and hearing O Canada being sung with no track or YouTube video, kids just belting it out – I can’t remember the last time I heard that. I realized how lucky we are to live in Canada when only one in 200 people in the world get to live in Canada.”
He’s right, it does sound pretty awesome.
Enjoy some photos from the day.
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- Tom Best of First Book Canada flips pages while Neil reads.
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- Pasricha hands out copies of his new book Awesome is Everywhere.
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- Pasricha and Westwood students.
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- Pasricha hands out copies of his new book Awesome is Everywhere.
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- Books donated to students at Westwood.
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- A $1,000 grant to purchase books and Kobo eReaders.
Updated on Thursday, October 29, 2015.