Book Swap Facilitates the Exchange of 1300 Books
“I have nothing to read.” “I’m tired of my books.” “My books are so boring.” Fortunately, thanks to the annual YISS PTO Book Swap, parents do not have to hear these complaints from their children. This year’s Book Swap from March 16 to 19, was a resounding success with 1300 books brought in and only a few left for donation. Despite the fact that this was the second Book Swap this academic year (the first was postponed from February 2020 and held in September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), over 100 students participated and donated some great books! From The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Dog Man to The Hunger Games, there was a wide selection of books for all ages and reading levels. There were old classics, such as Charlotte’s Web and The Secret Garden, and new classics, such as Geronimo Stilton and Harry Potter. While sorting the books, it was clear that our YISS community understands the full value of reading a good book!
It is also clear that our YISS students are avid readers and that reading is an important pastime for them. Even despite our children being bombarded with social media, video games, and all things the internet these days, none of these can substitute for reading a good book. Our YISS staff were also very active in donating and selecting books either for their classrooms or their own personal use. It’s wonderful to see our YISS teachers setting a great example for our children and encouraging YISS students to develop good reading habits.
Any remaining books (which were not as many as we anticipated) will be donated to the Fread Organization (freadbooks.org), which is a grassroots organization devoted to child literacy and education and has been delivering books, educational materials, and hope to children across the world since 2008. To date, they have created 51 libraries in countries around the world, including Cambodia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Nepal, and Mongolia. Thank you to everyone for donating to such a worthy cause!
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the active participation of our students and help from parents. Thank you again for making this such a success and we look forward to the next Book Swap in 2022!