From Beaufort County Schools

 

CHOCOWINITY — Students at Chocowinity Primary School were in for a real treat during the second-annual summer reading book exchange.

The event, held the last week of school, provided students with gently used books, according to Paula Cox, reading specialist at the school. Cox, along with fellow reading team members Lauren Buck and Lisa Silva, spent weeks planning the event.

Their hard work paid off. The team gathered approximately 1,500 books. A third of those were donated and students brought in the balance, meaning that for each book they brought to school they could select a “new” one during the exchange.

And because of the generosity of the donors, every CPS student was invited to choose a book to take home to read during summer vacation.

The event was an overwhelming success, according to Cox.

“There were a lot more chapter books this year, and the kids who participated last year knew more about what to expect,” she said. “We had some great titles that the kids brought in. They were just excited about choosing new books. Some of the students even chose books for their younger siblings at home.”

The event was held in the shade of the campus’ shelter, completed last summer and funded by the schools’ parent-teacher organization. Along with making their selections from among tables filled with books, the students crafted their own bookmarks and sipped ice-cold lemonade.

The event allows students who have read and enjoyed books to bring them in and exchange them for new reading material.

“It is recycling at its best,” Cox said. “An old book to somebody else is a new book for these kids. We’re trying to promote lifelong readers.”

Chocowinity Primary School is also launching a summer book club for upcoming third and fourth grade students. Beginning June 25 the club will meet every other week in the school library. Thirty students have registered for the club, Cox said.

“We’re trying to promote conversation with their peers about what they’re reading,” she said. “Our goal is to do two books per grade level this summer, and we’re going to do some blogging about the books, too.”