“Books open doors to new worlds, and every child deserves that opportunity,” says CEA Vice President and Connecticut Education Foundation President Joslyn DeLancey.
That dedication to getting books into the hands of Connecticut children inspired CEF’s second annual Read Across Connecticut Blue Back Book Drive in partnership with iHeartMedia and Blue Back Square that brought hundreds of families to West Hartford this month. The drive collected thousands of new and gently used books for children from prek through grade 12 that will be distributed to new teachers setting up their classrooms and to Little Free Libraries across the state.
“Thanks to the generosity of Connecticut families, we are helping get books into the hands of children in communities where access is limited so they can discover the joy of reading and develop skills that will benefit them for a lifetime,” DeLancey says.
The Saturday book drive transformed Blue Back Square into a literacy celebration, complete with live music with iHeart personality Amanda Jo from Country 92.5, giveaways, games, face painting, and balloon animals. A special story time inside Barnes & Noble engaged young readers and hands-on activities, including a craft station, gave children the opportunity to express themselves as they created bookmarks and bracelets.
Simsbury parent James Won had intended to bring his five-year-old twins to their local library but changed plans once he heard about the book drive and literacy celebration.
“We’re really into having the kids read as much as possible from an early age,” he said. “We also enjoy donating books because that flow of books from one family to the next helps promote reading and learning.”
West Hartford parent Abby Britton attended the drive with her husband and young daughter Lana, who enjoyed the festivities.
“Lana loves to donate books,” Britton said. “We go through every few months and pick out books to donate—she says ‘to other babies.'”
“We love the events at Blue Back and we love reading,” said West Hartford parent and Hartford teacher Sarah Brodeur who attended with her husband and three- and five-year-olds. “I’ve always been a reader and had lots of books available growing up. Instilling a love of reading in my kids has been a priority since they were tiny.”
Sofie Ryan and her husband and children donated their favorite book, Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney, so that another child could enjoy it and learn about not being scared of the dark.
Preschool teacher and Berlin parent Katelyn Biestek attended with her 18-month-old daughter.
“Reading is something we do every day in the classroom and every day at home,” she said. “I’ve seen how much my daughter has grown by reading books every day and how much her language has expanded.”
“We know that reading is the foundation for future learning,” said DeLancey. “By providing books to children who may not have them at home, we are fostering a love of reading and helping to close the literacy gap.”
“Blue Back Square is proud to support this initiative and bring the community together to promote reading,” said Elizabeth Zigmont, spokesperson for Blue Back Square. “Seeing families and children come together to donate books and celebrate literacy is truly inspiring.”
“iHeart Media recognizes the profound impact that reading has on a child’s future and is proud to participate as the media partner for the CEF Blue Back Book Drive,” said Allison Demers, radio personality and iHeart Director of Community Access. “This event not only shares the joy of reading but also provides children with the tools they need to succeed, while also supporting the incredible teachers who dedicate themselves to shaping young minds.”
CEF encourages community members to continue supporting literacy efforts by donating new or gently used children’s books throughout the year. The foundation is committed to ensuring that every child in Connecticut has the opportunity to develop a love of reading and build a brighter future.
For more information on how to support CEF’s literacy initiatives, visit https://cea.org/read-across-connecticut/.
