Bringing classroom literature to life!

A Book-It residency is a long-term, customized program that lifts words off the page. Each program is designed with the teacher to address specific fiction or non-fiction texts, content, academic standards, and students’ needs. All residencies feature professionally trained Book-It teaching artists and culminate in final performances of the text. Students explore literary elements such as character, setting, plot, theme, and point of view to gain a deeper understanding of the text and collaborate with peers to make it come alive on stage.

Residencies foster collaborative class environments and provide students with a toolbox of useful skills for the future: cooperation, collaboration and problem solving. Through the synthesis of literature and theatre, the program inspires students to analyze and interpret text in a highly personal, fun, and physical way!

GRADES K-12
LENGTH One week and up
RESIDENCIES INCLUDE Fiction or non-fiction text, Book-It teaching artists, touring performance, and culminating student performance.
COST Varies based on length and scope of program

For more information, to book your residency, or to receive a brochure call 206.428.6266 or email education@book-it.org

K-5 Residencies and Workshops

Choose a Residency or Workshop:

  • Story in a Box: Students explore a folktale brought to life as our teaching artist uses objects pulled from a story box and vocal repetition. Choose your Story in a Box Tale: How Anansi the Spider Stole the Sky Gods Stories – OR – The Origin of Fishes. (Grades K-3, One hour workshop $150)
  • Myth, Magic, and Monsters: Investigate Homer’s Odyssey through dramatic play, mask making and group tableau (Grades 4-6, Two hour residency that can be split between two days $300)
  • Summer Literacy Project: Each summer, Book-It partners with local school districts to provide an arts integrated literacy lesson for youth ranging in age from kindergarten through 5th grade who have been tested at having below level reading skills. Using Story in a Box techniques, puppetry, song, picture book tableau, and simple theatre foundations, students investigate folktales and stories from around the world to strengthen their understanding of character, relationship, point of view, sequencing and vocabulary skills.

“The instructor’s brain is amazing and her work with my students pure magic.” – Teacher at West Woodland Elementary

“I had no idea Book-It offered programming like this. Our students were fully engaged in the story being explored and felt a part of the action the whole time.” – Teacher at Sherwood Forest Preschool

Past schools we have visited include
Thurgood Marshall Elementary
Montessori Children’s House
Eastgate Elementary

Among others

6-12th Residencies and Workshops

  • Book-It Style Productions: Students analyze literary elements such as character, setting, plot, theme, and point of view and adapt those interpretations into a script for presentations in the Book-It Style. This can be taught in a two hour workshop called Adapt it! Stage it! that introduces the student to the basic Book-It form or can be expanded to a 3-4 week residency that culminates in a Book-It Style production adapted and performed by your students.
    Cost for the two hour workshop is $300; cost for the residency begins at $2500.
  • Classroom projects with selections of text: Students engage in hands-on exercises that support the comprehension of both fiction and non-fiction texts. Activities include Purple Word Activation; group exploration into adaptation; text collages and group tableau.  Cost for this residency begins at $500 and is dependent on size and scope, though it is suggested that no less than five contact hours per classroom be dedicated.
  • Page to Stage: Students will create personal interpretations of original text based on identified themes and crafted message statements. Students receive training in Book-It Style and theatre foundations in order to explore and bring to life poetry which they adapt, stage, and act in their own interpretations. Cost for this residency begins at $2500

“I learned how to analyze text and ‘read between’ the lines.”-Student, Chief Sealth International High School

“My best moment throughout the Book-It project was seeing my group laugh and smile and working together.”–Student, Chief Sealth International High School

Past Schools we have visited include:
Rainier Beach High School
Mercer Island High School
St. Joseph Catholic School
Roosevelt High School
Among others

Thank you, West Seattle Blog, for capturing eleven of our performances at the 2017 Page to Stage at Chief Sealth International High School!

Read the article

Watch the videos on West Seattle Blog’s YouTube channel:
Age
Anger
Border Justice
Bullets
Constellation Nights
Fear
Gloves
Once a Friend, Now an Acquaintance
Silenced
The Hole
Wake Up