Video Description: Sidney Keys III is an entrepreneur, community leader and founder of the popular reading club, Books N Bros. He’s also only 11 years old. Statistically, many African American boys stop reading between the ages of 8-12. But with the help of Eye See Me African American Children’s Bookstore, Sidney wants to change that. The club focuses on black authors, literature and history but is open to all races and backgrounds – working to build friendship and literacy together. Meetups include book discussions, games, and guest speakers. The response has been overwhelming – proving there is a deep need and desire for diverse material that allows all children to see themselves – and understand others – in the books they read.

• Have students work with the school librarians to learn about the breadth of diversity in their library and then, if necessary, advocate for reading material that reflects them.
• Use the video as part of a flipped learning activity focused on students creating their own school-wide or community-wide “Making a Difference” project. After viewing the video on their own, have them discuss the challenges Sidney faced and how he overcame them, their reaction to his project, and their ideas for a class project.