Lake Joy brings the library to hungry students

School-aged children (and their younger siblings) in the Red Fox Run subdivision are getting catered to this summer.

On Tuesdays through July 19 (except for July 5) they get to feed their curiosity as a bookmobile – courtesy of Lake Joy Elementary School – stops off to deliver books along with a summer feeding van delivering food courtesy of Houston County schools.

The Read and Feed program started in 2010 when Lynn Wood, Lake Joy Elementary media specialist, and teacher Jessie Anderson had an idea to take books to their students during the summer.

An older, small bus not in use by the school system was donated for the summer project, and book shelves were created by former Lake Joy Elementary student Sean Palmer for a Boy Scout project. The shelves are labeled by grade level. Teachers volunteer their time to stock the moving media center.

Any student is welcome to climb on board to select reading material. The focus of the bookmobile is to offer books primarily to children who do not have the opportunity to visit the library.

Principal Tami Godman drove the van Tuesday and explained the workings of the program

“They bring back books they’ve checked out so they can get new ones,” she said. ˇThere is a limit of three books a week per student.”

Houston County has a program to feed children, she continued, “so one side of the street is for them to get books, the other side is for them to get food. It works out well; it definitely takes a village to do all this, a team effort.”

The program services about 30 students weekly, she said.

Godman turns the van into Red Fox Run and honks the horn repeatedly as she slowly pulls into a parking slot. Students are already waiting as she parks the van.

Godman is joined this week by Donna Burkhardt, special education teacher at the school, and ESOL teacher Bernette Brown.

“The students love coming to the bookmobile,” said Brown. “The last week of school, we get their individual book bags ready and they come to the bookmobile room to pick out their first week of books. Many bring little brothers or sisters who aren’t quite ready for school, but that’s O.K. because we have a lot of picture books they can handle and begin to read.”

Burkhardt and Godman check in the books the children bring and then check out the books the students have selected.

“The kids keep a tally of the books they read,” said Burkhardt. “They have a form in their bags to keep track of the books they read, title and author.”

Fifth grade student Amily Allison, 10, said she likes all the different kinds of books.

Natalie Ochoa, 8, who will be in the third grade, came with sister Ashley Ochoa. There were a lot of ‘thank-yous’ from the children.

“Let’s see what you have here, Juan,” said Godman to fourth grade student Juan Bahena. “Oh, ‘The Boys Book of Adventure.’ You’re going to like that.

“Let me see, my man is here! Come give me a hug!” she called out as 10-year-old Davarsi Adams, who will be in the fourth grade, approached the checkout table. “You know what to do, right? Go in that side door over there, go inside and you get to pick out three books.”

Titles available for students included “Zombie Goldfish,” “Horrible Harry and the Green Slime,” “Little Groundhog’s Shadow” and a few Captain Underpants titles.

“I want a ‘Goosebumps!’ Get me a ‘Goosebumps!’” said Dakari Adams, little brother of Davarsi. Also selecting titles was older sister Dnaizha Adams, a fourth grade student.

Mother Leslie Adams said with a laugh that “We’ve got the whole Adams family here!”

After checking out their books, students went across the street to pick up a bag containing a sandwich, fruit cup and a piece of fruit from the county. And there was more.

“Mrs. Brown brings some donated clothes every week so the girls and boys – mostly the girls – can pick out new outfits to wear,” Godman said.

After about an hour books were checked out, lunch bags were selected and a few new outfits were distributed. It was time to tear it down and take the van back to Lake Joy Elementary and prepare it for the next trip July 12.

HHJ News