Buy a book or two for O.C. Allen Elementary School in East Aurora School District 131. That’s the request from Ellen Jo Ljung of Geneva, who leads a book drive for Allen.
Her motivation: “Allen has a 92% minority population, yet its students often can’t see themselves in the books they read.”
Ljung asks the public to order books from Young, Black, & Lit, a nonprofit with the mission of giving books to youth. Anyone can participate by going to the Young, Black, & Lit website: youngblackandlit.org, and choose a book or two, and put in the code “Panthers” in with the order.
The Company will hold books until January 5, 2021, the end of the drive, and then send them to O. C. Allen at no charge.
“It’s important for children to see themselves in what they read,” said Ljung. “That validates their place in the world, offers them role models, and encourages identity formation. And all of us benefit from multicultural literature that reflects the world in which we live, helping us to learn to appreciate others and get along.”
—Al Benson