Despite a shrinking budget for books, Sligh Middle Magnet School in Tampa is finding a way to add hundreds of new titles to its collection.
- $3,000 grant for Sligh Middle Magnet School
- Library hopes to add 1,000 books by end of school year
- Grant came from author James Patterson and Scholastic Reading Club
The school recently applied for and received a $3,000 grant to add books to its library.
The grant came from author James Patterson and the Scholastic Reading Club.
School Librarian Joshua Newhouse said it's important to replenish the shelves with new books to attract new readers.
"A lot of my students don't have books at home," Newhouse said. "They don't have access to the library except for here. This is their place to find reading."
Students love it.
"It's just something," said eighth-grader Natajah Diggs. "I like going into the book. It's like a movie in my head. I like to imagine all the characters. I like to imagine myself in the book."
"When I come to the library, I'm like, 'This is my world,'" said sixth-grader Allen Bacquez.
The school purchased 300 high-interest diary-style and illustrated books with the recent grant. The collection will serve all students, especially those who are reluctant readers and those who are English-language learners.
The librarian's goal is to get 1,000 new novels on the shelves by the end of the school year.