DETROIT – More than 70 schools across Detroit Public Schools Community District are receiving boxes of new books, including at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy, where students celebrated the arrival of fresh reading material.
Seventh-grader Judy Montingelli said the books have “really good illustrations” and storylines, while Executive Director of K-12 Literacy Cassie Williams said finding a book a child is excited about can make all the difference.
Principal Christa Reeves said the school did not have a library until three years ago, and the new donation will add even more titles to its shelves. Seventh-grader Madisyn Pope, who will help categorize the books, said the library is a place where students can get books they might not otherwise have access to.
The donation is a partnership between GM and First Book, which contributed nearly $500,000 worth of new books for DPSCD students. Shanell Farmer, director of strategic alliances at First Book, said the goal is to eliminate barriers and inspire lifelong readers.
Many of the books are STEM-focused, covering a variety of topics and interests, with about 500 books slated for each school. Beth Correa with the DPSCD Foundation said literacy is foundational to education and opens endless opportunities for students, adding that they can take the books home or read them at school.
Principal Reeves, a 28-year district veteran, called it one of the most dynamic donations she has seen for school libraries.