By Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo News Editor
EAST VILLAGE — A group of local schoolchildren combed through hundreds of donated books Thursday as part of a program to encourage students to continue reading throughout the summer.
The book drive, organized by Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh, saw 1,600 books delivered to PS 34 on East 12th Street, where a majority of the students come from low-income households.
The books were donated from local residents, bookstores and large publishers over a month-long period leading up to the end of the school year.
Students chose two books to take home for the summer, with the promise that they each read for 15 minutes per day and log their progress.
"This is an early holiday gift," said PS 34 principal Joyce Stallings-Harte, noting that there is a huge drop-off in reading among students during the summer.
"Reading is the most important academic activity you can do," she added. "It really lays the foundation."
The students had plenty to choose from, including classic Judy Blume titles and large glossy books.
"I chose this one because it looks cool and scary," said third-grader Frank Castillos, 9, who showed off his "Predators" book. "I like scary things."
Stallings-Harte said the reading program is important because her students don't usually have the means to access to such a wide range of titles at home.
"It's an incentive that they otherwise might not have," she said. "This at least gets them going in the right direction."
