Books Are Wings

“The kids in East Providence frequently mention our Books Are Wings parties to me throughout the year. They ask when the next one is and talk about how much fun they had at the last one. They really like receiving the books, and it is another way of reinforcing the importance of reading in their lives.”

- Librarian

“Book Lady,” is a name Jocelynn White, Director of Books Are Wings, has grown to love.  Every week for six weeks Jocelynn meets the same 25 little faces after-school in the corner of a children’s library.  Every week she introduces herself, using her real name, but this is quickly forgotten as she opens the magical world of reading.  Each week she reads a fascinating new exciting book.  This week’s selection is Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table.  The children sit eagerly with legs folded and eyes glued to each page.  After reading, Jocelynn and the kids dig their hands in dirt, plant seeds and imagine what those seeds will one day grow to become.  At the end, Jocelynn turns on music and lets the kids joyfully pick two books from the sea of beautifully displayed titles.  Each week, she writes their names in their selected books and says goodbye.  The next week and every following week, the kids are excited to see her.  She is “The Book Lady”, the woman that gives access to an enchanting world and then lets them take a piece of this world home.  At the end of the six-week session, parents greet “The Book Lady”, shake her hand and say thank you – the parents and children read their books together week after week.  Now they, together, look forward to the next.

The magic described is no illusion but a real life changing experience provided by the Books Are Wings Book Party Program.  These programs target children from lower income families who are most affected by factors contributing to gaps in reading.  All participating children live in Title I communities in Rhode Island's core urban area (Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls and Woonsocket, RI).  In these communities more than one in four (25%) children live below the poverty threshold. The four core cities also have substantial numbers of children living in extreme poverty, defined as families with incomes below 50% of the federal poverty level, $9,385 for a family of three with two children and $11,812 for a family of four with two children in 2013.

Book Party Programs expose children from low-income families to literacy-rich reading materials.

Based on Rhode Island’s Common Core standards in which students are ready for the complex reading of college and career readiness, Book Party Programs introduce children to a variety of texts, and provide rich language experiences. In these programs every child participates in a story-time model read aloud, engages in a literacy craft activity and chooses two free books to keep and take home.  The Book Party Program is delivered within four formats.