We sometimes hear from people in other countries who hope to start a literacy project similar to ours. Here, we'll try to share what we've learned so far. If you find it useful, please let us know.

We'll begin by looking at some of the first challenges we faced, and some solutions we've found.

Creating books: How does anyone learn to write a good book, in a country where most people have never read a good book? The key, we decided, is to start creating a large variety of good books, so that in ten years, nobody in Laos has to ask that question. Here are some approaches that have worked for us, and may work for you, too.

Book distribution: That's only the beginning. Next is the challenge of making those books widely available. What works in Laos may not work for you, but we hope our experiences will provide some ideas.

Author's note: As co- founder and adviser of Big Brother Mouse, I've written this section of the website to reflect my experience and views. Opinions in this section are my own, and are not meant to reflect Big Brother Mouse policy. I hope it will be helpful, and welcome feedback (at the BBM contact page) about what's most useful, and other subjects you'd like covered. Links to both the Big Brother Mouse home page, and to this literacy-project section, are welcome. If you're involved in literacy work, please feel free to print, adapt, and distribute this material within your organization, but please do not link to other pages, as URL's may change, and do not copy more widely without permission.   –Sasha Alyson