First Book Canada
Many of the kids in this pic took home their first ever “mine for keeps” books yesterday thanks to First Book Canada. Owning a book is a new concept for some of them. When I handed one boy his copy of The Man with the Violin he asked me, “Do I bring it back tomorrow?” When I told him he got to take it home and keep it – along with another book of his choosing from the table at the back of the room – he could hardly believe it!
Who are those folks in blue the kids are being introduced to? BMO volunteers who came to the school to read the new books with the kids in cozy groups of two or three, after their visit with me. A great pleasure to be part of this event, which began with all the kids singing a beautifully sung song about changing the world.
Thank you First Book Canada, BMO, and the great staff and students at Corliss PS.
Thanks to FBC’s Kate Burgess for this photo of two happy book recipients.
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Kathy Stinson is the author of the classic Red Is Best and the award-winning The Man with the Violin. Her wide range of titles includes picture books, non-fiction, young adult fiction, historical fiction, horror, biography, series books, and short stories. She has met with her readers in every province and territory of Canada, in the United States, Britain, Liberia, and Korea. She lives in a small town in Ontario.
Having grown up with lots of books, it's hard to think that not all kids in our part of the world have the same reality. I'm so glad this program exists so more children can experience the joys of reading.
Exactly. And to actually OWN a book too. We read mostly library books in our family but those that were truly ours were so special we still have them!
We did read a lot of library books, but I think we probably owned more books than some of our friends.
I'm sure that's true.