What To Do With 600 Books? Give Them Away, Of Course

By Claire Ruhlin

Officials at Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary distributed 600 books to students on Tuesday, April 23, with a grant from World Book Night Organization. The distribution was part of an annual drive to give out half a million books across the U.S.

Second-grade students received a collection called “Favorite American Poems.” Third and fourth graders received “The Phantom Tollbooth,” and fifth graders got James Patterson's “Middle School Get Me Out of Here” by James Patterson and “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan.

“It is a huge honor for the World Book Organization to donate these books, which our students will take home. Research shows that having access to print materials improves reading performance, helps children learn the basics of reading, causes children to read more and for longer lengths of time and improves attitudes toward reading and learning,” said OAES media specialist Deirdre Sugiuchi.

Sugiuchi made a point of explaining the significance of reading to the young students. Before they were given books, she showed book trailers for the chapter books and videos of the poems in the book of poetry.

Student were given a letter to bring home that suggested their parents read the books as a family, and the children were encouraged to write thank-you notes to World Book Night.

“I can't even describe how amazing it was to be able to send books home with my students,” says Sugiuchi. “They loved them! We discuss the importance of reading all the time- and it is great to be able to supply them with books so that they might also read at home.”

The volunteer book givers are wonderful, generous and passionate people.World Book Night is not a random giveaway, but a focused attempt to reach people in communities who would benefit from the gift of a book, said WBN US Executive Director Carl Lennertz. The volunteers give of their time and energy to seek out those in need, one by one, on April 23.

"It is a very specific and personal act of kindness—the sharing of a book with someone you don’t know—and we hope that more will hear about this and apply next year to be book givers themselves," Lennertz said.

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