Every December I visit Park Road Books to buy books for children whom I have never met and will likely never meet. This annual ritual is tied to the Book Tree Initiative, a collaborative project involving Communities In Schools (CIS) and Park Road Books. The CIS website includes the following description of the project:
Communities In Schools and Park Road Books in Park Road Shopping Center team up each year to give the joy of reading and books to CIS students. A tree in Park Road Books’ store is decorated with ornaments created by our students, including the name, age, and “book wish” of a student. Customers who select an ornament are given a 20% discount on a book purchased for the student. It’s a wonderful way to give a new book to a child who may never have had a book of his or her own.
This week my son and I selected two ornaments from the Book Tree. One of the ornaments was created by a girl who expressed a desire for a Sailor Moon book. We checked out the manga section, and sure enough they had the first volume of Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi. I bought it. The other ornament was created by a boy who said he would like any book about the American Revolution. My son and I took a look at the store’s collection of history books for children, and we spotted Guts & Glory: The American Revolution by Ben Thompson. I bought it. After I paid for these books, I left them with the helpful cashier. The staff at Park Road Books will make sure that the books get into the hands of the children who requested them.
For readers who want to know more about the Book Tree, please click on the following link: https://www.parkroadbooks.com/book-tree-2022
For readers who want to know more about Communities In Schools, please click on the following link: https://www.cischarlotte.org/about/
I am a big believer in providing children with their own books, which is why I always take a trip to the Book Tree. I like the fact that the children who participate in this program are given an opportunity to say what book or type of book they want. I enjoy making their “book wishes” come true.
I wish everyone in Storied Charlotte a wonderful holiday season, and I hope that everyone’s “book wishes” all come true.