It has been a “labour of love” for a local literacy program responsible for distributing over 65,000 books to children.
It has been a “labour of love” for a local literacy program responsible for distributing over 65,000 books to children.
The Bonnybooks program has been a 12-year process, and its dedication and generosity have been recognized by Scholastic Canada with a $1,000 donation in children's books.
“It's thrilling to have been nominated,” said Rose Reid, a director at Bonnybooks. “It's a labour of love, but it's nice to be recognized when it happens.
“Every one of those books is to be given away to children, probably in Morley.”
In 2005, Exshaw's Reid and Bonnie Ryan launched Bonnybooks, which is run out of the Bighorn Library in Exshaw, with a devotion to help literacy numbers rise, specifically for Exshaw students and eastward to children of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation.
The program's philosophy is to provide an opportunity for children without a local library to choose from a variety books, at no cost. Reid said being able to watch the kids with the books is a delight.
At the end of April, Bonnybooks hit a milestone, having given away its 65,000th book, mostly on reserves, since the program launched. An impressive feat, said Reid.
“We wanted to see proof that we were making a difference in literacy rates, but the only number we really know is there are 65,000 books in the hands of children who would otherwise not have had it,” said Reid.
Scholastic will select five nominees per month in 2017 for the prizes, in commemoration with the organization's 60th anniversary this year.
“A true testament to the success of the program is seeing young parents who initially received books from the (Bonnybrooks) program bringing their children into the library to take part in the programs and borrow books,” states a Scholastic release.
