Almost 900 children in grades one to seven experienced excitement, fun, adventure and great entertainment at 22 readings between January 13 and 24. Because when book writers and readers meet at this series of events, things get lively. The schools know this, which is why they like to bring readings into their buildings, as do the organizers Jessica Färber-Stecher and Julia Sonnemann.

The two women in the events team at the city library have many years of experience and always have a sure hand when choosing the line-up for the readings. "I look for beautiful and current titles and those that suit the children here in the city - and of course popular authors," says Jessica Färber-Stecher. The result: reading pleasure and book fun.

This year, it was the four authors Carola Becker, Nina Weger, Anne Scheller and Sarah Welk who enthralled the girls and boys at five schools with their readings and gave them an insight into the writing profession.

This is precisely the idea behind the Children's and Young People's Book Weeks, say Jessica Färber-Stecher and Julia Sonnemann: to arouse enthusiasm for books, for reading and for immersing oneself in stories. The two women know from experience that this concept works very well. "Many children ask immediately after the reading whether and how the story continues and whether they can borrow the books from us," reports Jessica Färber-Stecher.

Of course, the books are in the city library's collection and can be borrowed there, but some schools, such as the Am Sonnenberg elementary school in Gebhardshagen, also purchase titles themselves for their own small school library. In this way, it is possible to join forces to awaken and promote a love of reading. This is another secret to the success of the Children's and Young People's Book Weeks.

For Julia Sonnemann and Jessica Färber-Stecher, the two weeks mean a lot of work in the background, but the work of preparation, organization and supervision is more than worth it: "We see so many girls and boys beaming with joy, who are sometimes surprised to discover that reading is a great pleasure and they realize how much worth reading can be found between the pages of a book," say the two women.

They are also grateful that the children's and young people's book weeks have been financially supported by the Friedrich Bödecker Circle for many years. This allows the city library to offer this full program and give children this diverse access to literature.