Main Street Books, a bookstore in St. Charles, launched a new effort to improve literacy for elementary school aged kids.
The independent bookstore purchases new books from authors through its Main Street Books Literacy Foundation. The books are then donated to elementary students in participating schools in St. Charles.
Ellen Hall, the president of the foundation, said it’s already a hit with the kids.
“They loved it,” Hall said. “They were so excited. They were thrilled to have the book. They wrote us these handmade cards and said thank you. They were so good. They were just so attentive and wanted to ask questions about the book.”
The now retired science teacher co-owns the bookstore with her husband Andrew Hall and daughter Emily Schroen. The idea is to foster a love of reading through book ownership, said Schroen who is also the foundation’s secretary.
“The joy in the faces of the students when they receive a book signed by an author that they love is contagious,” Schroen said. “It’s also a really good way to ensure that kids actually physically read the book.”
The foundation has donated more than 300 books to students at two St. Charles schools including Central Elementary in the Francis Howell School District. In December, every fourth grader at the school received a free copy of the book, ‘Karl’s New Beak.’
It’s a true story about an Abyssinian ground hornbill that got a new beak thanks to a 3-D printer and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Also, each fourth grade classroom in the school got a replica of Karl’s prosthetic beak made possible through a collaboration with the foundation, the Smithsonian, and the St. Louis University Center for Additive Manufacturing.
Andrew, also a retired teacher and the foundation’s treasurer, said the trio were intentional about zeroing in on elementary students.
“Catching these kids in grade school is kind of the most important place to do it,” Andrew said. “One statistic we found is that if you’re not reading at grade level by the third grade, one in six of those kids doesn’t even graduate from high school.”
The foundation plans to donate 800 more books by next May and expand their reach. Schools and authors interested in participating are encouraged to contact Main Street Books in St. Charles.
