Original Source: Erie Times
By Gerry Weiss
ERIE, Pa. -- Tatiana Rivera, 9, and her older brother, Rigoberto, 10, walk to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Center every day from their home after school.
The program at the center, 312 Chestnut St., offers them play time in the gymnasium, exercise on the playground, time for homework, and of course, some snacks.
On Thursday afternoon, much to the surprise of Tatiana, Rigoberto and dozens of other lower westside children, there was something else waiting for them in the gym.
Books.
Free books.
And it came at the perfect time, too, with school out for summer in the city of Erie starting this week, and the propensity for children -- especially from lower-income households -- to not include reading in their summer activities.
The United Way of Erie County hosted Thursday the first of eight book swap events across the region to encourage children to read in the summer months and prevent loss of learning achieved throughout the previous school year.
The project, in its first year, collected more than 8,000 books from local companies and organizations that were invited by the United Way in April and May to donate new or gently used children's books.
There were about 1,500 books spread out across several tables Thursday at the MLK Center as Tatiana carefully perused the selections.
She wasn't just grabbing any old book and tossing it in her bag. Each child was allowed to pick six books, so Tatiana was selective and took her time.
The third-grader at Emerson-Gridley Elementary School chose a book from the Little House on the Prairie series, a couple of books about music, and another about a pony named Blondie.
"I love reading," Tatiana said before smiling. "I have a lot of books at home. Now I'll have more."
Swapping books at the upcoming events are encouraged, but kids don't have to. The remaining seven dates and locations are:
- Bayfront Eastside Taskforce Corner Store, 231 Parade St., June 16, from 2 to 4 p.m.
- Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network -- East Side, Poetry Park, 638 E. 22nd St., June 16, noon to 2 p.m.
- John F. Kennedy Center, 2021 E. 20th St., June 22, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
- Union City Public Library, 2 Stranahan St., Union City, June 22, 1 to 3 p.m.
- North East McCord Memorial Library, 32 W. Main St., North East, June 23, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network -- West Side, International Gardens, 400 block of West 18th Street, June 23, 1 to 2 p.m.
- Rice Avenue Public Library, 705 Rice Ave., Girard, June 24, noon to 3 p.m.
The book swaps are open to children of all ages and their families, with age-appropriate books ranging from birth to grade 12.
Joelyn Bush, marketing and communications manager for the local United Way, said research has shown that just six books during the summer could keep a struggling reader from "sliding" back in his or her reading ability.
Bush on Thursday, at the MLK center, noticed how frequently children attending the event were "shocked" they got to keep the books.
"They kept saying, 'We can put our names in them?'" Bush said of the kids. "We know we will be making an important impact on these children this summer."