Getting to the public library on nights and weekends for new reading material can be difficult to squeeze into many families’ busy schedules. That’s why 7th grader Cagney Bennett and West Side Elementary Reading Coach Tabitha Wandell decided to make books available right in the neighborhood.
A new miniature library right outside West Side’s front entrance was stocked Tuesday afternoon with donated reading materials for students in grades Pre-K through 5th grade.
“We just want kids to have access to books and to have options that they may not have otherwise — especially in the summer,” said Wandell.
For Bennett, who was crowned Miss Pre-Teen South East Region United States 2016, the library is another way to further her cause of “Stopping the Summer Slide.”
“When kids don’t read over the summer, they can lose up to 33 percent of their reading knowledge, and we want them to retain those skills,” Bennett said.
Wandell believes the accessibility of the library will make it easier for families who already visit the playground in the evenings to check out new reading material. The books are available to all children at no cost, and families are encouraged to borrow and donate books in return.
“We hope this will inspire others to build libraries all over town,” Wandell said.
The library was built by Michael Lowe and paid for by West Side’s Parent Teacher Advisory Council. Those interested in donating may call West Side at 423-547-8030.
Bennett will manage the stocking of books which are provided by donors. As the Carter County Imagination Library Ambassador, she also works with the Imagination Library and the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library to provide reading materials locally. She is always accepting donated books for this and other reading initiatives, and she may be reached on her Facebook page, Pre-Teen South East Region United States.