Jingle Books campaign continues to collect kids books
<p>Coeur d’Alene School District Trustee Dave Eubanks accepts a $90 donation from four girls who sold lemonade to raise the money for the Jingle Books program. From left: Ashley Yates, Annalie Terzulli, Ava Yates and Ella Terzulli.</p>
Almost halfway through the Jingle Books campaign, organizers said Wednesday they are a quarter-way toward reaching their goal.
That goal is to raise and distribute 40,000 new and gently used children’s books to more than 6,000 kindergarten- to third-grade students in the Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Lakeland school districts.
The Jingle Books drive continues through Dec. 8 with donation stations at public schools in the three school districts and many churches, businesses and both hospitals in the county.
In a series of free book fairs in all the public elementary schools the last week before Christmas vacation, Jingle Books organizers hope to give every child his or her choice of six reading books to take home, read and keep as a way of improving their reading proficiency by the end of third grade.
“Kids learn to read in K-3, and read to learn starting in fourth grade. It’s critical we get them all up to par for this transition,” said Coeur d’Alene school board member Dave Eubanks. “Our hope is that before our drive ends Dec. 8, everyone will look in their basements, garages, attics, and barns, find any stacks or boxes of kids books sitting around, and turn them in. Working together we can make a difference.”