RAINELLE AND ALDERSON W.Va. (WVDN) – The Greenbrier Chapter of Read Aloud WV distributed books to the children at Rainelle Elementary School (19 April) and Alderson Elementary School (24 April). Both events were made possible by a grant from the Hollowell Dawkins Foundation. The children were very excited to get books. Their eyes lit up when they entered the room to find tables laden with books of all kinds.
The youngest children could not necessarily read the title of the book but could recognize pictures of favorite animals or characters. Books about dinosaurs, cats, dogs, Bluey, Paw Patrol, and others were swept up by the children. One little boy thanked the team personally and said, “I have only one book at home so I’m glad to get another one”.
The older children took a little more time to pick out a book. They read the blurb about the book and leafed through it before making a choice. For some, the decision proved very difficult. The suggestion was made for each of them to get one of the books. After reading it, they could share it with their friends. The girls liked that idea, the boys not so much.
Most of the children said “thank you” as they left the room. One personal thank you was particularly poignant. A boy thanked the team for the book and told them he wanted the same book at a book sale earlier in the year but did not have enough money to buy it. Read Aloud is always thrilled when a child gets a book they really want.
Another project of Read Aloud is putting volunteer readers in classrooms to read to the students. Both Alderson and Rainelle Elementary Schools need more volunteer readers. If you have a half-hour once a week that you could spend in a classroom reading, please contact the Greenbrier County Read Aloud Coordinator at eswv4gvc@gmail.com.
