Hundreds of children in Buffalo, New York, received free books this week as part of the "If You Give a Child a Book" campaign, supported by the Scripps Howard Fund.
The event took place at Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center, where more than 600 students were given the opportunity to select three free books each. The initiative is part of an annual campaign by Scripps News Buffalo, which collected donations in September to support the cause.
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"Because they are my favorite books," said Dominic, a student, when asked why he chose certain books.
"I want to be the reader, too," said another student, expressing excitement about reading.
Students were enthusiastic about choosing books that they loved, with some picking titles like "Spiderman" and "Pete the Cat." Others selected books that resonated with their interests or family members, such as a book about wrestling for a father or a dog-themed book for a mother.
The campaign aims to address the educational gap highlighted by studies showing that children in homes with no books are, on average, three years behind academically compared to those with many books.
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The "If You Give a Child a Book" campaign continues to foster a love of reading among young students in Buffalo, thanks to the generosity of the community.
This story was originally published by Lia Lando at Scripps News Buffalo.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
