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Category: Community News Community News
Published: 17 October 2014 17 October 2014

 

SILVER CITY, N.M., (October 17, 2014) ¬– Let's Read, Literacy Link-Leamos' book giveaway project, is going strong, with almost 12,000 new books coming in over the summer. Twenty-five volunteers labeled and then distributed over 8,000 books to children at elementary schools in Grant County during September and October.

In the Cobre School District (Bayard, Central, Hurley, and San Lorenzo), children in grades K-6 were given four books each, and poetry books were left with teachers in grades 3-6. In the Silver School District (Sixth Street School, Harrison Schmitt, Jose Barrios, and Stout), children in grades K-5 received four books each, and Let's Read gave poetry books for each child in grades 3-5 to the elementary school teachers. Because Let's Read received three interesting books of poetry for this book distribution, project manager Caroline Baldwin gave teachers in both districts a letter of introduction to Elise Stuart, the Poet Laureate of Silver City. Stuart will conduct poetry workshops for the children, after which the kids can take home their poetry books.

To get new books into the hands of children, who may not have any books at home, Literacy Link - Leamos partners with First Book, a nonprofit organization that connects book publishers and community organizations. The Silver City Rotary Club has been an important sponsor of Let's Read, as has Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold. Baldwin began applying for and receiving book grants for Grant County children in 2001, and to date her project has delivered 164,922 books to local children.

Courtesy Photos