For summer, kids get their own books

Program lets students choose what to read when away from school.

Schools want students to read during the summer to keep their brains working, but what if those students can’t afford books? That is where Books for Keeps comes in. Since its founding in 2009, the Athensbased nonprofit has been sending kids home for summer break with stacks of books — ones that the kids choose. And yes, they might pick a “Captain Underpants” or “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” title. No matter, says Leslie Hale, executive director of Books for Kids. “To me, anything that gets a child reading is a success,” she says. This spring, Books for Keeps will give away 50,000 books to students at 11 elementary schools. The nonprofit is working with one Atlanta school and has plans to expand in the city over the next three years.

How did Books for Keeps get started?

Our founder, Melaney Smith, met a little girl who wasn’t looking forward to summer because she loved to read but had no books at home. Melaney set out to help that one little girl and learned that there are many children just like her.

How does Books for Keeps work?

At the end of the school year, we go into the elementary schools with a lot of stu- dents who receive free or reduced lunches. We put out hundreds of high-quality picture books and chapter books on tables. The children come in one class at a time and pick out the 12 books they would most like to have.

Where do the books come from?

When our program started, every book was donated. We now buy about 80 percent of the books at a very low cost — $2 or less per book. We have direct relationships with publishers, book wholesalers, nonprofits like Reading Is Fundamental and First Book. It takes $30 to send a child home for the summer with 12 new or like-new books.

Where do you get your money?

We get donations and write grants. A lot of our readers want sports books, but those are expensive. For the past few years, we have written a grant to a family foundation here in Athens that has an interest in youth and sports and helps us tap into that niche.

How do you select book titles?

When the children get their books, we ask them which books they are most excited about reading and what do they wish we had. The students are very picky – and I mean that in the best possible way. They know what they want and they are learning to advocate for themselves, to tell adults what they need to connect with their education and ultimately become successful students. Information: www.booksforkeeps.org Any surprises? When students started asking for “Nancy Drew.” When I asked the media specialist what was going on, I was told that there was a graphic novel of “Nancy Drew.” Some of the old titles are gaining resurgence, but students want them in an updated, more modern look and feel.

What does the research about summer reading say?

We know through decades of academic research that many students from low-income or working-class families don’t have access to books and lose two to three months of learning each summer. Research shows that inviting children to self-select 12 books in time for summer cannot only halt some of that loss but reverse it.

What is the best part about your job?

Helping students pick out books and seeing the excitement on their faces. It really is just like Christmas when we are at the schools. A lot of students say it is the best part of their entire year. That books still have the power to ignite that much excitement in a child, including some really reluctant readers, is truly, truly magical.