Literacy group partners with elementary school

Since its publication, almost 30 years ago, Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney, has grown into a perennial favorite of children and parents across the country.

Librarian Martha Jackson thinks so highly of Miss Rumphius, championing both the book and the book’s heroine has been central to her work at Stevens Brook Elementary School (SBES) in Bridgton.

One School, One Book is a program designed to create a shared reading experience within a single elementary school community. Every child in the school receives the book. Activities coordinate, promote and enrich the shared reading experience. In essence the One School, One Book program is a giant schoolwide book club.

Chris Przekop, president of the Bridgton Literacy Taskforce (BLT), immediately saw the advantages of providing the 325 copies of Miss Rumphius to SBES and agreed to raise the money to buy the books.

“Giving literacy a boost in Bridgton,” is at the core of the BLT’s mission, she noted. “So let’s get started and raise the $1,300 to provide Miss Rumphius for the May 5th launch of the One School, One Book at SBES.”

How To Donate

Anyone, regardless of where they live, can choose one of two convenient ways to donate money to make Miss Rumphius, and the One School, One Book program, a reality.

The fastest, most convenient choice is a secure, online donation site — www.GoFundMe.com/SBESCHILD

The Spring Book Drive

The other goals of the BLT’s Spring Book Drive are to raise $2,500 to fund the anti-slide summer programs, and to get 3,500 gently used children’s books donated.

If you would like to volunteer to help the BLT achieve these goals, or for information about the Bridgton Literacy Taskforce, please contact Shannon 400-0234 or e-mail bridgtonliteracy@gmail.com. Like the BLT on Facebook.

The BLT gratefully accepts donations of books and money throughout the year.

Six Thumbs Up

Three local book lovers recently read Miss Rumphius and here’s what they had to say:

Alice (aka Miss Rumphius) is nice. She is a librarian. She traveled to faraway places like her grandpa did. He was an artist. I would like to live by the water too so I could swim and go fishing everyday. Alice made the world look more beautiful with lupine flowers. They are my favorite colors in the whole wide world. I see them everyday in Maine. Jocie McGlinchey, age 8.

Alice has a cat that is so cute. If I could go into the storybook I would pet it all the time. I wish I could live by the sea so I could look at the pretty view everyday. Alice scattered lots and lots of seeds that turned into beautiful flowers. I wonder if she lives in Bridgton, Maine because we have lots and lots of flowers in our town. Jayden McGlinchey, age 6.

Alice wanted to be like her father. She had to do 3 things: go to a lot of places, live by the water and make the world more beautiful. She did that. She planted purple and pink flowers. The book was funny because her name was always different. Alice, Miss Rumphius, and crazy old lady. Brenner Przekop, age 6.