Grapeland Schools Looking for Help to Promote Reading at Early Age

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

GRAPELAND – Grapeland ISD Elementary and Junior High Schools are looking for the public’s help to promote reading as a fun hobby to promote the reading of books in the home with the “Books Are Fun” Program. 

The district has teamed up with “Book Blast” to collect donations to help students and their families have access to different books and resources to promote not only reading comprehension, but all of the other secondary benefits to a life-long love of reading, according to Grapeland Elementary School Principal Cassie Satterwhite. 

“It’s really important to have a physical book in your hands because when you’re reading on a tablet or other device, it’s so easy to get distracted and off to another place not as brain-stimulating as reading,” Satterwhite said. 

Reading (and beginning that habit at a young age) helps the rest of one’s life to be able to understand, retain and process information. It also allows you to show off to friends after watching a movie by saying, “The book was better!”

The program is mainly looking for donations, with any amount welcome, and different books are chosen for different reading levels and vary between simple readers and more complex young fiction works. 

The program is set to run until Friday, Sept. 22, with fun prizes and drawings to be held amongst the kids as they collect donations. 

“The goal is to build home libraries for our students so that they have books at home to read not only during the school year, but during the summer,’ Satterwhite said. “When we receive a donation, it not only buys a book for the kiddo they’re donating to, but also buys books for the other kiddos, so it kind of shares the love.”

Donations to the Grapeland ISD Book Blast can be made online or by check. Contact Ms. Satterwhite or Felicia Meador for more information. 

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]