PORT COLBORNE LIBRARY PROMOTES LITERACY WITH FREE BOOK DAY

EVENT HELD IN COLLABORATION WITH FIRST BOOK CANADA

Avid users of the Port Colborne Public Library, Sandi Marr and Mary Fretz hope to pass a love of learning to the next generation.

The mother and daughter heard about a free book giveaway at the library and they made a point of dropping by to pick up some new reading material for Sandi's kids - Mary's grandchildren.

"We come in here all the time," Fretz said. "We're very grateful. It's more than just a library."

Amongst the books she picked was a copy of E.B. White's Stuart Little that she plans on giving to a young boy in her Sunday school class.

"He's only seven, but he reads at an advanced level. He loves chapter books."

The boy, whose name is Iker, immigrated to Canada from Columbia and comes from a large family. Fretz wanted to make sure he had a book of his own that he could keep.

"He'll be so happy when he finds out he doesn't have to return it," she said.

Marr, meanwhile,

picked up a few different titles, but she was especially impressed with one called Great Job, Dad, by Holman Wang.

"I like how it breaks stereotypes," she said. "The dad does things like cooking."

In total, the library had 179 books to give away Saturday. The books were donated for the event by First Book Canada, which provides new books for children emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusion in the development of essential skills beyond literacy. Books provided for the event were geared toward children between the ages of three and eight.