“Nothing is so impactful as new, high-interest books so enticing that students beg for immediate access to them, fresh out of the box. Since unpacking them, I have students clamoring for access to them. They beg to come behind my desk to browse the cart. For those of us dedicated to maintaining current, high-interest collections -- and, thereby, student traffic -- these funds are a godsend. Thank you.”

“This grant allowed for us to open an entire new dialogue about eBooks and how they can be utilized. Teachers were able to incorporate them into lessons, students were able to use them for research and also to discover something fun and new to read. This Laura Bush Grant opened up an entire new line of communication and way for us to expose students to books that we never expected. ”

“With the books purchased with the Laura Bush grant, it is far easier to introduce a good book to a child when it has a great cover that reflects a diverse group of kids and is in good condition. As I selected books, it was important to me to select books that reflected the diverse student body that we have at our school. Most of the new biographies feature women and people of color whose stories aren't told as often. I think as they discover those stories over the years, they will find confidence that they too can make a contribution to our community and nation. ”

“This grant has been influential in its impact on our school culture. We began to address ourselves as a community of readers. The receipt of the grant funds prompted additional conversation about literacy and what we can do as a school to motivate students to read. The energy surrounding these books and being recipients of the Laura Bush grant has jump-started our library program for this next school year as well.”