Thousand-Book Day at Matilda Dunston Elementary

There’s never a bad day for a book giveaway, but April 18 was a beauty. Beyond the tall, airy windows of Matilda Dunston Elementary’s library, a bright spring sunrise welcomed the first lower primary classroom to the Wise Owl House Book Give.

Over the course of four hours, more than a dozen classes and hundreds of students dropped by the library to pick out two books (sometimes more if they just couldn’t decide) to keep and either share with friends, keep at home, or drop in a free library when they were done. Books of interest ran from soccer to Sweet Valley High to comic books and R.L. Stine.

“This is the best day ever!” One third grade student exclaimed as he tucked a Batman book in his bag.

On returning to their classrooms, the teachers happily announced that the kids immediately started reading and sharing their finds with friends.

Extra special thanks to head librarian Cate Mortensen, MLIS, for setting up and categorizing more than a thousand donated books before the event, as well as Wise Owl House Board member Donna Bailey for helping students make their selections during the event as well as dropping off books, and Wise Owl House Vice President Mike Hutchinson for arranging the event and delivering the books to the school. Additional thanks to school resource officer Ben Money for helping pack up books at the end of the day. Thank you for a wonderful visit and a great day with books, Matilda Dunston Elementary!