The books kept coming in as students showed their giving spirit at Birch Lane Elementary School in the Massapequa School District for the annual Book Fairies collection. More than 1,900 new and gently used books were donated during the two-week drive that ended on Feb. 10.
All of the books will be donated to the Long Island-based nonprofit organization that provides reading materials to under-resourced communities. The Book Fairies collection has been an annual winter tradition at Birch Lane for several years. It is organized by student government, under the direction of advisors Meghan Reedy and Allison Rifkin.
Students were asked to look through their book shelves at home and donate any children’s books they no longer read. Additionally, several families purchased new items at the recent Scholastic book fair to donate to the drive.
“It makes me feel really good because I want kids to read,” fifth grade Emma L. said about the success of the book drive. She added that when kids have more books, they become better readers and spellers.
Student government members made fliers to hang around the school and also promote the book drive through word of mouth. As books were donated, the student leaders sorted them by category and then boxed them up. The drive helped fulfill the group’s community service mission.