GA Superintendent Gives Kids Free Books At Cumming Library

CUMMING, GA — State School Superintendent Richard Woods visited the Cumming Library this morning as part of a special initiative between the Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Public Library Service to prevent the “summer slide” in students across Georgia.

“I’m grateful for the partnership of the Georgia Public Library Service and the Forsyth County Public Library as we work to distribute books to students all over the state this summer," Woods said. "For Georgia’s kids, summer is a time for fun and family – but it’s also a critical time to keep learning. Literacy plays such an important role in educational attainment that we can’t afford to hit the brakes on reading during the summer months. Georgia’s public libraries play an essential role as we work to provide summer learning opportunities to all of Georgia’s children."

In addition to providing hundreds of donated books for children to take home, Woods also talked with parents and caregivers about the importance of encouraging children to continue reading over the summer break and read a picture book to children and families gathering for a special ScienceTellers performance of Aliens: Escape from Earth.

State Librarian Julie Walker, Forsyth County Board of Education Chair Kristin Morrissey, and other school and library leaders were also present to support efforts to encourage Forsyth County students to choose books of their own and to keep reading this summer.

“Reading for pleasure over the summer is a simple way to make sure students retain the reading and literacy skills they’ve acquired over the last academic year and to reinforce the idea that reading is fun and entertaining,” Programming Manager Tracy Walker said.

Forsyth County Public Library offers a Summer Reading Fun program that supports Superintendent Woods’ initiative to keep kids reading. Special programs that encourage children, teens, and adults to read are planned all summer long at FCPL branches.

For more information, visit www.forsythpl.org.