White Plains PTA Sponsors Free Book Giveaway
The White Plains PTA has invited parents and students of all ages from across the White Plains School District to Eastview Middle School on Saturday, May 4 to participate in a free book fair.
The event, organized by Caroline Furry, Kathleen Brown, Laura Rudy and many volunteers, follows a similar book fair in January at the Post Road Elementary School.
“We live in a community where there is a lot of need,” Furry said in an interview Friday. “There’s no cost for anyone. This is a giving and receiving event.”
At the Post Road School fair, Furry explained that 1,000 books had been given away during the first 45 minutes. “The Eastview fair is on a much larger scale and we expect many more people and many more books to go,” she said. “We are hoping to give away 10,000 books.”
With the cooperation of all eight schools within the White Plains district, reaching that number is possible if everyone comes out. All WPSD K to 12 students are invited.
Furry said the goal is to promote literacy and quoted research that claims children who grow up in homes with books go farther in school than those who don’t.
During the event there will be live readings by Mayor Tom Roach and School Superintendent Christopher Clouet among other local celebrities. Rumors say a local author may do the premiere reading of her new children’s book at the event.
There will also be readings in Spanish as well as a few hundred titles available in Spanish.
There will be other entertainment and refreshments and the first 200 students picking up books will receive some free giveaways.
In advance of the fair the PTA committee continues to gather titles from people who have books to donate. Children’s books, bilingual books, fiction, non-fiction – all sorts of categories are welcome.
Public drop off locations (from April 4 to April 19) include any public school in the White Plains district, the Thomas H. Slater Center in downtown White Plains as well as these private homes: 235 Albemarle Road in the front porch area, 2 Southdale Avenue in the front door area, and 34 Hillair Circle near the front door.
If you don’t have books to donate, and even if you do, you can help out by visiting brucelarkin.com online and click that you “Like” the page. For each “like” one book will be donated up to April 10, so you have to act fast.
The PTA Free Book Celebration will be held May 4 at Eastview Middle School, 350 Main Street in White Plains from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine.
