TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — "I love reading."
The words of students at Oak Ridge Elementary School. Words every teacher and parent hopes to hear from the students whose lives they touch.
"Peppa Pig", "Spider-Man" and Paw Patrol, those books are just a few of the titles kindergarten students at Oak Ridge Elementary School were able to take home with them Thursday.
One-by-one, students lined up and picked out eight books to add to their at-home library during a free book fair.
The purpose, to give students an opportunity to imagine themselves as characters in the books they read and allow them to go on a literary adventure.
"We chose books that represent the demographics of our students," said Dr. Inika Williams, member of Leadership Tallahassee Class 39.
Thursday's book fair at Oak Ridge Elementary was all made possible by Leadership Tallahassee Class 39. The book fair was the idea of Dr. Williams.
Each year, Leadership Tallahassee classes come up with service projects. For this class, a focus on literacy was an easy decision.
A decision that Oak Ridge Elementary School principal Dr. Jasmine Smith says can shape a child’s life by putting them on a path to a brighter future.
"Last year 75 percent of our kindergartners were able to leave reading on grade level and that's because they had the opportunity to read," Smith said.
An opportunity Leadership Tallahassee Class 39 was happy to provide.
"Often times you go to the bookstore, and you pick up a couple books and it's a costly venture, so we wanted to eliminate that barrier of access to books," Williams said.
