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By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
Reading can take children on an adventure, but for Birmingham-based nonprofit Books That Build Skills, the journey does not end when the last page is turned.
Through Story Quest, a collection of educational kits now available at North Shelby Library, children can explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), career opportunities and practical life skills through storytelling and hands-on activities — all at no checkout cost to library patrons.
Loxley Browne, founder of Books That Build Skills, introduced the program at North Shelby Library on Tuesday, Oct. 20, walking visitors through a seven-book series centered on Addie, a young girl whose adventures introduce readers to skills they can apply in their everyday lives.
Each book focuses on a different lesson, from adjusting to a new school and managing time to breaking down complex projects, planning a trip, pitching a business idea and thinking about the future.
“We start with Addie’s Amazing Adventure,” Browne said, explaining the series. “Each one of the books has a different life skill.”
In the opening installment, Addie and her family move from the fictional Creativity Code to Huntsville, Alabama, also known as Rocket City. The story explores what it means to be the new kid at school while encouraging readers to consider how they can welcome others into unfamiliar environments.
Subsequent books build on those lessons. One introduces time management through a storyline, while another teaches project management by showing readers how to break a large undertaking into smaller, manageable steps.
Other installments explore code-breaking and Egyptian hieroglyphics, budgeting for a trip to a STEM conference and presenting a business idea to a group of executives. The final book in the initial story arc brings the characters’ clues together while emphasizing life planning and the importance of considering future goals.
Beyond the Books
The accompanying kits extend the experience beyond reading, giving children opportunities to work through activities and apply what they learn.
Browne said the kits are designed for individual readers and groups, including homeschool communities, youth organizations, church groups, and classroom settings. Families and educators can check out the materials from North Shelby Library for 30 days before returning them to the same location.
The books also encourage children to interact with what they read. Printed on graph paper, the books invite young readers to sketch ideas in the margins and respond to questions as they work through the stories.
Browne said she hopes those written reflections will give children something meaningful to revisit as they grow older, allowing them to look back at the dreams they had when they were young and consider how those ambitions have developed.
The idea for the series emerged from Browne’s own experiences. Originally from Georgia, she said she spent two years traveling around the world before returning home. Although a friend encouraged her to write a biography, Browne instead turned toward children’s literature after founding a literacy nonprofit.
She realized storytelling could help her reach more children than small-group conversations alone.
“I realized I would be able to reach more kids faster if I told a story through a book that they could all get,” Browne said.
Her stories blend fiction with elements from her life, though she leaves readers guessing which experiences are real. Browne also wants the books to appeal across generations, giving children, parents and grandparents opportunities to find different meanings in the same story.
Beyond encouraging literacy, Story Quest aims to help young people develop skills they may not always practice in traditional classroom settings.
Yvonne Avila, a sponsor who supports Browne’s work, said she connected with the nonprofit’s mission after meeting Browne and recognizing similarities in their life experiences and professional backgrounds.
Avila and her daughter, Grace, have become involved in supporting the initiative. Their sponsorship of the third book reflects its focus on project management, a skill Avila said has been important throughout her professional career. The story also includes filmmaking, another area connected to their work.
“I just think the way that Ms. Browne is bringing this to young people is very impactful,” Avila said. “The way that she’s packaged everything makes it very fun, but it’s super engaging.”
Grace Avila, 17, a senior at Chelsea High School, said the program offers young people opportunities to learn through experience and hands-on activities.
She values the practical lessons presented throughout the books, especially as students prepare for college and adulthood.
“Being able to have these experiences and work with such amazing people like Ms. Loxley” has been an opportunity to learn, Grace said.
She added that the skills highlighted in the stories matter in everyday life and can help young people feel more confident navigating new situations.
Browne also sees Story Quest as a model communities can bring to their own libraries. She said Books That Build Skills is headquartered in Birmingham and is working to expand the program nationally. The organization is also exploring opportunities for young people to help secure sponsorships that would bring the kits to additional libraries.
For Browne, that approach gives young people a way to develop communication, outreach, and organizational skills while making educational resources available to others in their communities.
The initial seven-book story arc is only the beginning. Browne plans to research and develop additional installments, with a new series of books expected to follow the first collection.
Meanwhile, local families can explore Story Quest at North Shelby Library, where the kits combine reading with activities that build skills beyond the classroom.
North Shelby Library is located at 5521 Cahaba Valley Rd, Birmingham, AL 35242. Learn more at northshelbylibrary.org.
