LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Studies show that giving kids books fuels dreams and plants the seeds for future success. In partnership with the Scripps Howard Fund and Scholastic Books, LEX18 is working to gift free book fairs to schools in our area through the "If You Give A Child A Book" campaign.
This week, students at Booker T. Washington Elementary in Lexington got to take home four new books for free. Fifth grader Oziel Rodriguez tells LEX18, "I got one from my favorite games. It's Pokémon. I got something for my sister because she doesn't come to school yet. And I got a Dog Man book."
Students could choose from various books, finding different topics that interest them. "We just want them to be engaged," said Sam Roley, Special Education teacher, "And it kind of brings forth the effort to learn more and explore more."
The "If You Give A Child a Book" Campaign aims to instill a love of reading in kids and for children to build a library at home without the financial burden.
"Just gives them another level of access to having those books, and if we can get kids interested in reading at the school we're at, it's just important for future academics," said Roley.
Rodriguez tells LEX18 he's already learned from his favorite series, "Dog Man," "You just don't have to, like, focus on yourself." And he's putting that into practice at home by reading to his little sister.
The "If You Give A Child A Book" Campaign partners with Title One schools nationwide to help build at-home libraries. Booker T. Washington Elementary has participated in the program for several years.
