Thousands of books were piled high on tables in the Riverhead Middle School cafeteria Saturday morning. Children browsed the titles and made their choices, placing their selections in nylon sacks distributed by the Riverhead Central Faculty Association.
This was an unusual book fair, the first of its kind in the Riverhead Central School District. The books were all free.
The book giveaway was made possible by First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides new books and learning materials to children in need.
“It’s a program made available to Title I schools,” said Lisa Goulding, president of the Riverhead Central Faculty Association. The teachers union teamed up with the PTSO to sponsor the giveaway.
“If we have 1,000 people signed up as First Book members, they give us 20,000 free books,” Goulding said.
First Book membership provides access to new books and learning resources through the First Book Marketplace at 50 percent to 90 percent off retail prices.
The free books are provided through the First Book National Book Bank. Publishers sell and donate books and resources to First Book for donation to organizations serving children who meet First Book’s eligibility criteria, for example, Title I schools, Head Start and other organizations that serve low-income children. First Book members pay only the cost of shipping.
“We got five big crates full of brand-new books from pre-K to grade 12,” Goulding said. RCFA and PTSO members sorted the books — 7,500 in all — and set them out on tables around the middle school cafeteria.
The giveaway was open to the entire community, not just students who attend Riverhead public schools.
“We’ll be getting the balance of the 20,000 books and doing this again in spring,” said Mary Maki, president of the Riverhead High School PTSO.
Alex Carter, 14, an eighth-grader, was one of the students browsing through the books Saturday morning and had picked out two titles — one by a favorite author, Charlie Higson. Alex, who aspires to be a sports broadcaster, said he loves to read.
“This is really a great opportunity,” Alex said, as he browsed the tables looking for another book.
In all, classroom teachers and families took home 6,500 free books Saturday, Goulding said this morning The remaining books will be distributed to the district’s schools.
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