Research shows that when a child grows up in a home where books are plentiful, he or she gains three more years of schooling than a peer without access to quality books. Further, The Kids & Family Reading Report™ found that 91% of kids say they are more likely to finish a book they picked out themselves. This is just some of the research at the heart of My Very Own Library, a research-based Newark literacy initiative in its third year.
My Very Own Library affords students the opportunity to choose 10 new, free books over the course of three unique book fairs throughout the school year. These book fairs take place before holidays and the summer break in order to reinforce the importance of children reading at home with their families, and schools that take part in MVOL each plan several family engagement events to involve the whole community. Students also have the opportunity to meet the real-life authors who have written their favorite books at their schools, with up to 10 authors visiting Newark each year.
During the 2011-2012 school year, the pilot year of MVOL, over 60,000 FREE, NEW books were disseminated to nearly 6,000 students at 8 Newark Public Schools. The initiative has since more than doubled in size with 140,000 books being provided to 14,000 students in at least 20 Newark public schools every year.
MVOL is dedicated in fond memory to its originator, Mrs. Anne Feeley, with support from her family, individual donors, the Foundation for Newark’s Future and Scholastic Book Fairs. Together, we have one goal for the program: to encourage and support students’ love of reading by providing the opportunity to choose NEW books to build their own home libraries and meet the real-life authors who write them.
To inquire about donations or learn more about the My Very Own Library initiative, send an e-mail to [email protected]. To donate immediately, please make checks payable to “Foundation for Newark’s Future” and send them to the following address:
Foundation for Newark’s Future
ATTN: MVOL
60 Park Place, Suite 604
Newark, NJ 07102
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Visit the My Very Own Library website.
