He was a volunteer mentor at College Gardens Elementary in Rockville, Maryland, and thought that the young students may similarly benefit from his creativity. The idea led to the start of the “Just-For-You Story Project,” an initiative that offers custom books for students, with the goal of getting them excited about reading by placing them in the center of their own stories.
So far, Landau has published nearly 80 books.
“I love coming here,” Landau told WTOP. “I love doing the stories, and I love giving the stories to the children. It just makes my life really fulfilling.”
Once an aspiring journalist, Landau was encouraged to go to law school because he enjoyed writing. He practiced for five years and then became a recruiter. He’s not currently retired, but said he’s “winding down, and I had a void in my life. I needed to fill it with something, and this has been remarkable for me.”
ROCKIDZ, a City of Rockville after-school mentorship program, pairs students with a volunteer. At all four schools involved with the program, Landau asks students a series of questions, ranging from friends, interests, favorite movies and professional ambitions. He inquires about their favorite food and desired superpower.
Then, he writes the book, usually about 10 pages. He uses artificial intelligence to create the illustrations, and then puts the book through a binding machine to publish it.
“I like seeing the look in their eyes when they first get the book, and they’re excited, and they want to read it with their mentor,” Landau said. “Each child is assigned a mentor, and they sit down and read the story together.”
Some of the students need help with their reading, Landau said. The personalized touch gets them eager to practice.
“He builds these stories that engage the children like we’ve never seen towards English language arts, to where kids that have been reluctant to read and write are actually asking, ‘Can I do another story for Mr. David?’ It’s an incredible effect,” said C.J. Rucker, who coordinates youth programs in Rockville.
On Thursday afternoon, Landau delivered a book to Myles Johnson titled “Myles, Dak Prescott and the Super Bowl.”
“Writing a book is like hard work,” Johnson said. “If he makes it, then you have to say thank you to it.”
Aisha, meanwhile, got a custom book about Cristiano Ronaldo. In some cases, Landau said, the books have themes or lessons, such as emphasizing the value of teamwork.
“I like the book, and I like him,” Aisha said, “because he’s kind, caring, and, well, he made a book.”
Fifth-grader Liam Chu said his personalized book about soccer and Lionel Messi “made me feel like I should read more books.”
Landau also publishes custom stories for children receiving long-term cancer treatment at the National Institutes of Health. He meets two or three kids at the hospital once a month, asking similar questions to publish their stories.
He said the project has filled a void and offered him a new purpose.
“You can’t put a price on it,” he said. “It’s the greatest.”
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