Kids Give Thumbs Up to New Reading Room

There’s a new room at Pikesville Middle School loaded with books, beanbag chairs, a lounge chair, college pennants and soft, relaxing lighting.

And it was a hit when students first saw it Friday.

“It’s a kid place. It’s comfortable. I could have a lot of fun in here reading," said eighth-grader Christian Lewis as she checked out the new Ben Carson Reading Room, after it opened Friday.

The room is named after well-known pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson of Johns Hopkins Hospital. And the cost of transforming the former faculty lounge into a reading space for kids was funded by the Carson Scholars Fund, as well as Pikesville residents Phyllis and Louis Friedman.

It's the 56th Carson reading room in the county, and the second for Pikesville.

Candy Carson, Ben's wife, attended the ceremony, as did the Friedmans. Carson and urged children to check it out and do some reading.

“This is a wonderful opportunity,” she said. “So you cannot let this go to waste.”

A video-taped message from Ben Carson himself was played during the ceremony.

He said he's grateful that his mother pushed him to turn off the TV and spend more time with books. Now, through the reading rooms he's trying to pass on the importance of reading.

A group of students walked throughout the room and took in the new details. From their reactions, it doesn't look like it will go to waste.

“I think it’s awesome,” said eighth-grader Raven Cubebe. “Kids are going to be willing to read now because of the appearance of the room.”

Seventh-graders Kyree Winfield, Drew Fuget and Ori Rattner were hanging out together, enjoying the room after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“My elementary school [Wellwood International, also in Pikesville] had one, too,” Ori said. “I loved reading in it and taking a break from class.”

Kyree said he likes the books and especially enjoyed the papasan chair—a big, bowl-shaped chair that will definitely help anyone relax.

“I think the room is cool,” he said. “I will definitely sit in this chair.”

The teachers also are hopeful that the room will help students enjoy reading.

Librarian/English teacher Laura Getty said the room will likely be part of some kind of rewards system, and used with the school's 'Strive for 25' reading program, a countywide program.

Getty said they’ll have more than 600 books in the room, as well as materials on colleges and universities. And it's funded for three years.

“I cannot wait to get the students in there,” Getty said. “I can’t wait to see the room in action.”

Getty, who spearheaded the project, said she hasn't yet tallied the complete cost to renovate, stock and operate the room. The amounts of money donated were not immediately available.