Bartlesville Community Creates Children's Book Inspired By Town

Some folks in Bartlesville have come together to create, write, publish, and illustrate a children's book just in time for the holidays. Almost one thousand books have been sold and all the proceeds are going to the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation that supports teachers.

"We have 8 art teachers who did the work for the book and then 4 Bartlesville high school art students," said Executive Director Blair Ellis Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation.

"We also wanted to cultivate community pride among our youngest residents. They all recognize the places in this book- they have been there with their parents," said Ellis.

The book Goodnight Bartlesville, is truly community-made.

"We actually received a sponsorship from our Trudy Education Foundation- so they covered all of the costs of publishing a book, so 100 percent of the proceeds are going to the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation," said Ellis.

The Foundation started in 1985, they fund grants for teachers. They have been toying with the idea of publishing a book.

"Then this past year we decided to put pen to paper and go outside of our wheelhouse and try something new," said Ellis.

They brought the community together to write, illustrate and publish the book.

"We are very proud of our community and our landmarks, that are unique to Bartlesville," said Ellis, "We ordered 500 copies and I was worried I was going to be sitting under piles of books for months and then we sold out of our first 500 copies in 3 days."

They ordered 500 more and now they are almost out of those. This book is about community pride and the money made goes right back into the community.

You can order your own copy of Goodnight Bartlesville on the Foundation's website: bpsfoundation.org/goodnightbville

You can also stop at the Education Service Center and pick up a copy for yourself.