Book Swap

“This must be my lucky day!” exclaimed Zaiden, a sunroom student, as he fished out Frog and Toad are Friends from under a pile of books. Synergy’s annual book swap is one of the school’s celebratory end-of-the-year events where students from every grade excitedly stream in and out of the Big Room to scour the stacks and take home the perfect summer reading book.

In our ever more connected and plugged-in culture, the private act of reading can be refreshing as we unwind from the constant hustle and bustle of the school year. Thanks to the hard work and organization of Synergy’s library committee, the school’s book swap gives students the opportunity to slow down and recharge. Every year, the students get the chance to sift through hundreds of community-donated books and choose an addition—or two, or three, or ten—for their personal book collection.

At the swap, students have the chance to fill paper bags full of stories for the summer. This year, there was an abundance of picture books, with copies of classics such as Goodnight Moon and The Little Prince, as well as funny titles, like Miss Nelson Has A Field Day and The Big Beastly Book of Bart Simpson. The most sought after books? Anything and everything Star Wars. From the kindergarteners to the middle schoolers, Synergy students cannot get enough of the epic space saga!

The mission of Synergy School’s Wilma Messing Library is “to promote literacy, foster a love of reading, support the school’s curriculum, and create a place where inquisitive young minds feel welcome to explore.” It seems like the library committee is doing a pretty good job of making this mission a reality. After the swap, the committee generously donated all remaining books to Mission’s Community Thrift, giving other folks in the area a chance to enjoy our favorites too.

If this year’s book swap didn’t satisfy your stellar story craving—don’t miss out on the San Francisco Public Library’s city-wide summer reading program, Summer Stride, which runs from May 7 through August 14! For those unfamiliar with this special program, young San Franciscans are encouraged to check out books and audiobooks all summer long, and they earn prizes after reading or listening for a certain number of hours. Interested? All you have to do to join is pick up a paper tracking guide with instructions at any neighborhood library or bookmobile.