More about the importance of home libraries…
Growing up a child in Bronx, New York, my parents believed any and all information could be found in a book. One of my favorite memories was the excitement I had obtaining my first library card at the age of nine (9). The number of books that could be checked out at a time was six (6).
I searched for over an hour to get books that piqued my interest. I day dreamed while my books were being manually checked out. I knew there was going to be hours of, new adventures, places I’ve never been, girls that had lives much different than mine and most of all vocabulary building that was the family claim to fame.
In our fourth floor apartment, a building of 28 apartments there was a host of young families like ours consisting of several young children. Each school night there was always homework and to my amazement our family was the only one that had a set of encyclopedias.
I learned later that my mother purchased these books with money saved for a “rainy day”. Suffice it to say our encyclopedias belonged to our building. As children, whenever there were words or subjects not known or needed clarity, my parents typical expression was “look it up”.
Participation with Gift Children’s Books, is an opportunity to afford children in Phoenix and Harlem, access to new adventures, enhanced vocabulary and developing a desire to increase love of learning via their own personal Home Library.
There is much to be said about literacy skills in the technological world in which we live. The ability to obtain information with the click of a mouse, is only as good as access to internet service, Wi-Fi , computer etc. A book in your Home Library is accessible when you reach for it, get comfortable and read.
Your membership in Grassroots Literacy enables GCB’s an opportunity to provide books to the many children who need them the most.
Nefretari Salahdeen
