Check out this awesome 11-year-old entrebroneur! Sidney Keys III started his own reading club for boys called Books N Bros. His book club wanted to show boys his age that reading can be fun!
When he was 10-years-old, the lad from St. Louis felt that the selection at his local library didn’t have much of a selection of African American literature for young boys. After a visit to EyeSeeMe, Missouri’s University City bookstore which is known for their large collection of African American children’s literature, young Sidney was inspired to start his own book club so similar kids could have access to books.
From the Bros N Books website:
Sidney started his own book club which he titled Books n Bros Book Club to make reading fun for boys particularly between 8-10 years old but we welcome within the reading level of 4th-6th grade. Boys, especially African American boys statistically stop reading within this age group and we wanted to combat that stereotype and encourage literacy within the young African American community. Sidney loves reading all genres of books like Grumpy Cat to Diary of a Wimpy Kid to books like the featured Danny Dollar: Millionaire Extraordinaire: Lemonade Escapade. We held his first meetup with his new reading friends Saturday, September 10th 2016 at the African American children’s bookstore EyeSeeMe. The owners agreed to open their space monthly to allow Sidney to encourage reading in the community. At the first meetup, Sidney had a successful turnout, fun music and even had the idea to host his own lemonade stand in light of the plot of the featured book. During this event not only did he make new friends, but he learned skills of leadership, public speaking, and entrepreneurship. After finishing the first book, we hope that all of the readers learn the previous mentioned as well as financial literacy.
For a $20 membership fee, each bro gets a book, worksheets that ask questions about the work they’re reading, and refreshments. Since September, the club has met monthly to discuss their selected books.
“You get to a point when he is 11 years old and it was so shocking for him to relate to someone on the cover in a positive aspect rather than it be some negative urban story we see a lot,” Sidney’s mom Winnie Caldwell told radio show “St. Louis on the Air.” “I would like to make sure he sees himself in being whatever he can be.”
Serving the Badge, a group that looks to “educate, mobilize and empower community members and police to proactively engage in problem solving strategies that build mutual trust and collaborations to ensure public safety,” donated 200 books to Sidney’s program so members can bulk up their personal libraries.
Sidney, please continue to be a positive influence and an up-and-coming entrepreneur!