Help each S Ellen Jones student take home a book

Hi, there! My name is Amanda Beam. As the librarian at S Ellen Jones Elementary School in New Albany, Indiana, I am excited to host our annual Scholastic Book Fair in April. While some students have the funds to purchase books from the sale, many in our Title 1 school do not.

According to the Indiana Department of Education, 82 percent of our kids come from economically disadvantaged households. Extra expenses can be challenging when you have a hard enough time making ends meet.

And yet, a recent Australian National University multinational study indicated that more books available at home libraries correlate to higher literacy rates. Book ownership equals better scholarship.

Here's where you can help! You can give the gift of reading to our burgeoning PreK readers to our blossoming 4th-grade bookworms. We are hoping to raise enough funds so that every one of our roughly 210 students can pick out their own $10 book and keep it. How awesome is that?

We can't forget about our excellent educators. The remainder of the money raised will fulfill teacher wish lists for their classroom libraries.

Any contribution will bring us one step closer to our goal. No amount is too small.

We appreciate your consideration! Thank you for helping to foster a lifetime love of reading!