On Wednesday, the book folks will be giving books away.

It's the kickoff for "One Book, One Community," at the Natrona County Public Library and this year's choice is the 1999 novel, "Pay It Forward."

It's a remarkable book, not just because it's a good story, but because of its possibilities for greater things to come.

Author Catherine Ryan Hyde says when she wrote it, she didn't write it for anything to happen. But when it did, she embraced it.

"I didn't write the novel expecting a social movement, but it's certainly been exciting to watch it grow," she says on one of several Pay It Forward Web sites.

Different than random acts of kindness, paying it forward is thought out and planned.

Basically, someone does three kind things for three different people, and then asks them to repay those kindnesses by "paying it forward," with three more each.

The main character in the book is 12 years old and raised by a single alcoholic mom. One just has to think that if a 12-year-old can be that smart and that caring, certainly we should be able to do something nice for someone - either random or planned.

Not every deed needs to be about cash. In fact, there are few in the book that are.

Look around your neighborhood or your office. Is there someone who could use a bag of groceries or their lawn mowed? How about a gift card for gas?

Do all of the high school girls you know have formal dresses for the fall girl-ask-boy dances? If you don't want to pay for a dress, you could "recycle" some you own to any high school.

If doing something good for a complete stranger freaks you out at first, start with someone you know - and you can always be anonymous, as long as the recipient knows about "the movement."

Peggy Jane the Mom loves her book club. She says in addition to socializing once a month, it's an incentive to read quickly.

That's one of the reasons I have not joined a book club - I read very slowly, because there are a million other things that I need to get done before I start reading.

Unlike the friend, I can't read when there's noise around, so reading and watching football at the same time are out - well, duh!

Of course, being brutally honest here, the other reason I don't do book clubs is because I think very few really admit to reading what I enjoy the most.

"Pay It Forward," and "One Book, One Community," are both terrific ideas.

Go to the library on Wednesday, grab a free copy of the book, read it, then pass it along to someone else.

Attend the book discussions and the free showings of the movie adaptation starring Haley Joel Osment, Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt.

The author will be in town on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m., at Casper College. Don't miss her free presentation.

And mostly, the next time you see something that you could do to help someone or some thing, do it. Right then.

Community News editor Sally Ann Shurmur can be reached at (307) 266-0520; sallyann.shurmur@casperstartribune.net or read her online at www.casperstartribune.net/dishin