Books have come alive in this small New South Wales town in Australia thanks to a never-ending literary treasure hunt that has brought back the reading habit as well as smiles on children’s faces.

Children’s books are packed in neat plastic bags and are kept around the town, hidden in shrubs or shop windows and even in parks. If a child chances upon a book, s/he can take it home to read or or re-hide the book for another child to find and add their name to the list of previous owners.

There already existed a tradition of hiding painted rocks in the town. Samantha Dixon, a mom of 5 thought that books would be more useful for children than rocks. She had observed similar events in other countries and decided to start this initiative. 

Speaking to ABC News Australia, Dixon stated that it was amazing to see the tiny kids’ faces when they spotted the books. The best thing about this treasure hunt is that kids are finding these books outside rather than on screens and that they are being read rather than just sitting on the shelves.

Books are enclosed in plastic bags that read, “You are the lucky finder of this book. Read it, enjoy it, and then rehide it for someone else to enjoy. Please reuse this bag. Add your name inside the cover and let’s see how many can find it!”

Children are definitely going to find gems of knowledge and entertainment through this wonderful literary treasure hunt.

The books are kept inside plastic bags with a sheet that says: “You are the lucky finder of this book. Read it, enjoy it, and then rehide it for someone else to enjoy. Please reuse this bag.Add your name inside the cover and let’s see how many can find it!”