ST. MARKS, Fla. (WTXL) — A new little free library in St. Marks aims to increase access to books and improve literacy for local kids.
- Counselors with C.O.A.S.T Charter School say that reading expands children's brain functions.
- The new box is by the St. Marks Fire Hall will hold elementary and middle school-aged books.
- Watch the video below to learn more about the box and how it could help children.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
This little box by the St. Marks fire hall is an easy and free way to help your kids get into reading.
It's as simple as opening the box, grabbing a book you want to read, and then finding a good reading spot.
I'm neighborhood reporter Serena Davanzo in St Marks.
Educators say that reading literacy has gone down in recent years, and free options like this make reading more accessible.
"Reading is important to your children because it opens up entire worlds that they might not ever get to experience," said Greg Bryant, the father of a 5-year-old at C.O.A.S.T.
"Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more you can do for other people, and the more advancements that are made," explained C.O.A.S.T. student counselor Kate Epperson.
Parents and educators agree, reading is necessary for kids.
C.O.A.S.T. Charter School counselor Kate Epperson, known as Miss Kat to students, says that reading makes the brain more active. However, she says reading comprehension has gone down in recent years, so teachers are adding more into their curriculums.
"Especially with the COVID issue that happened, like, kids didn't get those foundational skills, like the phonics, the blending," explained Epperson. "They even have issues with fluency now in middle school because they didn't get the foundational stuff. So I think that all of Wakulla County is really working on fixing those gaps that are in there with some of the different programs that we've been using."
So the City of St Marks bringing in a brand-new free little library to get books out to kids will help with this. The little library that was previously in St. Marks was damaged by Hurricane Idalia in 2023 and Hurricane Helene in 2024, leaving cracks and its roof ripped off.
So the anonymous sponsor for the new one told me they felt they wanted to bring a resource for kids in the area.
"Well, the city's growing, and we have more kids here than we've ever had in recent decades. And I just felt like they needed, they needed more resources. So I wanted something just for the kids next to the school," said the anonymous sponsor.
Greg Bryant, a parent to a 5-year-old going to C.O.A.S.T. Charter School, says that reading is the stepping stone for his child to have a successful life.
"You have to be able to know how to read to be a successful adult, whether it's just basic, being able to read the instructions on how to cook something on the back of, you know, the instructions on a box of macaroni and cheese," said Bryant. "Or being able to, you know, read your bills, or being able to, you know, just have a successful life in general, being literate, being able to read is an essential part of that."
Bryant also says this is a great resource to have right here for their kids to be able to grab a new book daily, saying it helps inspire their imagination and keep them off screens.
The city will keep an eye on it to make sure books are there for you.
If you'd like to donate one, you can just bring them right here, but remember, the books are for elementary and middle schoolers.
In St Marks Serena Davanzo ABC 27.
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