Bayla Publishing
PROJECTS
Build-A-Book
Build-A-Book is a community literacy project in which a group of local writers collectively author a complete work of fiction. Working from a common outline, the participants each write one or more sections of the outline, and the sections are then joined together to form a complete story. This was first done in May of 2009 in Edinboro, Pennsylvania by thirty-four aspiring writers. They collectively wrote and edited a complete work of fiction in 18 days. The resulting 184-page book was bound and donated to libraries in Erie County, Pennsylvania, and the project was given substantial media coverage both in print and television.
The exciting news is that you can do it, too. Build-A-Book is available on Amazon, and includes the complete text of Lara's Gems, the novel produced by thirty-four writers in three weeks, and instructions on how to replicate this experiment in intensive literacy in your own community. Everything needed to hold a Build-A-Book event is in this book, including the complete story outline and step-by-step instructions. The story is this: An eleven-year-old girl meets an old man. He tells her something. This sets her on a journey that lasts until her death at age seventy-six. Although the outline is the same, no matter how many groups write it, the story will be different every time. The project was recently replicated by a writing group in Waukeesha, WI.
Build-A-Book Academic is an offshoot of Build-A-Book. Working from a common outline, a grade 6 - 12 class collaboratively writes a book. Each student writes one or more sections, which are then combined to form a complete story. There is a different outline for each grade level. This means that a student can participate in Build-A-Book Academic throughout their middle and high school career without repeating the same story. This project was first accomplished by an Albion, Pa. sixth-grade class , in a book they titled The Adventures of Leitakcoc Avenue.
Related videos
Build-A-Book video presented at Edinboro University Literacy Conference: 6-minute Build-A-Book video
Video interview with 6th grade teacher who did a Build-A-Book Academic project: 6th Grade Teacher on YouTube
Latest Build-A-Book News
Bayla Publishing applied for the trademark for Build-A-Book around the time of the original Build-A-Book project. The application was opposed by the Build-A-Bear corporation, who felt that it was too similar to their mark, and over the course of a year and a half Bayla Publishing and Build-A-Bear held discussions to try to resolve the matter. In an innovative and mutually beneficial arrangement Build-A-Bear agreed to license the Build-A-Book trademark to Bayla Publishing, and also purchased a substantial number of copies of The Official Guide to Office Wellness, a humorous photographic volume published by Bayla.