Kids Need to Read is happy to announce that it has made its first major donation of books to 15 special libraries.
We at KNTR are so thrilled to be putting your generous donations to work opening up the world of reading to children. During his book tours, author PJ Haarsma has encountered the frustration of many teachers and librarians who do not have the funds to buya single book, and it was his desire to do something to help these people who care so deeply about literacy. Thanks to you, now we can.
Here are some of the stories we have received from libraries that have requested books through kidsneedtoread.org:
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“First of all, thank you for doing this work! I teach second grade at Dick Scobee Elementary (named after the commander of the Challenger shuttle) in Auburn, Washington. Our library budget has been cut down to $6 per student this year. This is down from $25 only a few years ago, and we have been told not to expect it to get better. This budget includes books and school-wide technology. We have fewer than 500 students in our school. We have done book fairs and asked for donations, and now our teachers are actually donating books (especially with Harry Potter coming out this summer!) so that we can stretch our dollars as far as possible. Our school is in a very low socio-economic area, so our school library is where most of our students are able to get reading material outside of the classroom. Any little bit helps. Knowing that there are people such as yourselves who use their positions to actually help others, particularly our kids makes the frustration ebb ever so slightly! Thank you for taking the time to read about my little school, and best wishes to you and yours.” – Dick Scobee Elementary, Auburn, WA
“Anniston High School library books were destroyed by fire and is in dire need of restocking the library. All of the books were destroyed.” – Anniston High School Library, Anniston, AL
“I am the media specialist at Tenth Street Elementary in Anniston, Alabama. We are a Title 1 school that serves mostly low income students. Over 90% of the students receive free lunch. The school is in desperate need of new books to encourage the students to read. It breaks my heart to see the empty shelves in my library. Your help would be greatly appreciated.” – Tenth Street Elementary, Anniston, AL
“I live in a small town in southern Indiana. It’s a rural area with not much in the way of industry, so it’s a depressed area. There’s not much of a tax base, so our library doesn’t have a lot of money. Our librarian is young and enthusiastic, as are the staff, but the staff consists of 2 part-time clerks. I do volunteer work there and donate books, but I actually work part-time at a library in a town 13 miles away. Anything you could do for the Oakland City-Columbia Township Public Library in Oakland City, Indiana, would be deeply appreciated.” – Oakland City-Columbia Township Public Library, Oakland City, Indiana
“My library is in Euclid, OH. We have a fairly large YA [Young Adult] section but we don’t have a lot in the way of YA Sci-Fi. My partner has contacted the library via email and the YA librarian is more than excited with being part of the project.” – Euclid Public Library, Cleveland, OH
“I’m the new librarian at Glenburn Public School in Glenburn, North Dakota. We have a beautiful school library with great kids. Thank you for reaching out to students through reading. It’s a skill that improves them mind, body, and soul!” – Glenburn Public School, Glenburn, ND
The following libraries were also provided books to foster the imaginations of their young readers:
Brampton Public Library
Brampton, ON, Canada
Burlington Public Library
Burlington, ON, Canada
Aurora Public Library
Aurora, ON, Canada
Normal Memorial Library
Fayette, OH
East Cleveland Public Library
East Cleveland, OH
Junior League
Akron, OH
Scarborough Public Library
Scarborough, ME
Madison Public Library
Madison, AL
Freedom Regional Library
Charlotte, NC
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We have only just begun, but thanks to your kindness, we are making a difference for libraries that need a helping hand to put books on their shelves. If you know of a school or library that could benefit from our program, please tell them about Kids Need to Read.
We want to help.
