LEWISTON — Now listen: If someone approaches you on Tuesday and offers you a free book, don’t get all worked up. It’s for real — the book is free and there are no strings attached. Relax, take your book and start reading.

World Book Night comes to Lewiston on April 23.  A team of 19 volunteers will be out and about, giving away 380 copies of new paperbacks in hopes of enticing people who don’t normally read much.

It sounds simple, but things have been known to get weird. When offered something for nothing, people tend to wonder about hidden costs.

“Some people are resistent,” Lewiston Public Library tech Marcela Peres said. “They don’t understand how we could possibly be giving books away for free.”

The volunteers — book givers, they are called — picked a title to give away from a list of 30. They’re not just giving away some random novel or book of poetry, they’ll be handing over a title that they can personally recommend.

“That way,” Peres said, “they can sort of pitch the book.”

The book givers met Wednesday to go over the game plan. On Tuesday, they will spread out and start handing books over. Churches, nursing homes and schools are the likely hot spots.

“But they are also welcome to go out on the street to hawk books,” library Director Richard Speer said.

The idea paints a nice image. But most of the book givers already have an idea where they will go to lure readers.

Penny Frost, of Lewiston, has young readers in mind. She’ll make a stop at New Beginnings before headed to the youth drop-in center to hand out copies of “The Worst Hard Time,” Timothy Egan’s non-fiction book about the people who survived the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

“I’m a book addict,” Frost said. “And I want to share my love of reading.”

Joline Gruz will hand out copies of “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” a collection of David Sedaris’ essays.

“I thought for new readers, it’s nice and light,” Gruz said.

In all, volunteers across the country expect to give away a half million free books on World Book Night. The event was started in the United Kingdom. This is its second year in the U.S.

Lewiston might have missed the boat, Speer said, if Peres hadn’t heard about it and made sure the library got involved.

The library will host the book givers in a free public event from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, at the library’s Callahan Hall.