Every year, KRTV and the Scripps Howard Fund partner with schools to increase literacy among underserved children, with a special focus on the critical kindergarten through third grade years when children are still learning to read. Thanks in part to generous donations from people in our community, students at Sunnyside Elementary School recently received new books.
Brianna Juneau reports from Sunnyside Elementary School:
Aimed at sparking a lifelong love of reading and empowering communities through literacy, each student was able to pick out four books to take home and keep for free.
The donation included a diverse selection of books ranging from colorful picture books for early readers to engaging chapter books for older students.
Sunnyside librarian Ashley Munden said it’s encouraging to see the students get excited over new books.
She explained, “I love the excitement that they come in wanting to show me, wanting to show their classmates, wanting to show their teachers their new books. Hopefully, it'll expand their horizons and they'll try different genres.”
The students will receive four books this week and will receive four more books in May.
By providing access to quality books, the Scripps Howard Fund hopes to bridge literacy gaps and ensure students have the tools they need to succeed.
“Without this, students would not have the opportunity to keep books that they would be able to keep at their house,” explained Munden. “Otherwise, they’re checking out one to two books a week here in the library, and then they're returning them.”
The atmosphere in the library was uplifting, as kids excitedly picked out their books and hurriedly sat down to begin reading.
“I like to read all day!” exclaimed one student.
“This was fun!” said student Karter Dodge, who also excitedly described her excitement for the next book fair in May. “Then I can get more books that I would like to read and even read to my parents.”
For Sunnyside Elementary and other schools around the nation, the donation is more than just a collection of books – it’s an investment for the future.
The school is excited to see students grow as readers, thinkers, and leaders.
