PORT TOWNSEND — Each student at Blue Heron Middle School will take home two new books to read over the summer as part of a program that ends today.
“The best way to keep reading scores up is to put books in kids’ hands and give them choices,” said Title 1 Director Diane Frame, who is running the program, “so if you want kids to maintain their skills it’s better to just buy lots of books than to spend money on test preparation.”
This is the 13th year Frame has offered the books, but the first time at Blue Heron.
Previously, they were distributed at Mountain View Elementary, which closed last year.
The Port Townsend PTA is sponsoring this year’s book giveaway, a role previously assumed by local banks.
All of the books are published by Scholastic, which is one of the largest sources of children’s books worldwide.
Each May, Frame drives to the Scholastic warehouse in Olympia and acquires up to about 2,000 books at a deep discount.
They are brought into the school and put on display, with students filing in and taking two books of their choice at no charge.
“The kids love book fairs,” Frame said, “but a lot of them can’t afford to buy very many books.
“So this is something where even those with no money can participate.”
Scholastic is the publisher of the Harry Potter series, but there are none of those titles here.
Instead, there is a scattering of the less popular — and some would say more interesting — books.
She said the kids are open-minded and pick books they don’t know.
And this year, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinny is creating the biggest buzz.
“When you give choices, they open up their options,” Frame said.
“It’s a good way to keep them reading.”
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Jefferson County reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
