NewCanaanite.com received the following letter. Send letters to editor@newcanaanite.com to have them published here.
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Dear Editor,
I am a junior at New Canaan High School writing to you to share my special experience with Book Pals, a program through which I have sent letters and books back and forth with a sixth-grade student in Stamford for the past year.
The Book Pals program paired me with an economically disadvantaged, book-loving student in Stamford who I have gotten to know throughout the year, talking about school, weekend plans, friends, and of course, our shared passion for reading. She tells me what type of book she is interested in each month, whether it be nonfiction, realistic, dramatic, or a certain topic, and I select a book that I think she will like. Sometimes she will request a specific book, when she is in the middle of a series. It is so fun to introduce her to different books that I remember reading at the same age, and we bond over characters and plots that we both know and love. Elm Street Books has partnered with the program, offering a 10% discount on selections, and I’m able to drop that along with my letter at the store, where it is later picked up by the program managers. There are multiple drop off spots in Stamford.
The program is a low yet gratifying commitment for me and I know it brings so much excitement for my pal at the receiving end. I imagine many other students are waiting for an opportunity like this but more volunteers are needed to fill the role. The program was started by two Stamford residents in 2023 with five volunteers and five students and has grown to 54 students at four Stamford elementary schools and an afterschool program. Volunteers are from Stamford, New Canaan, Greenwich, Rye, Scarsdale and a few from Florida and Minnesota.
I hope to inspire others to join the program and spread the joy of reading in our community, and support our local bookstores in the process.
For more information, please contact Marian Freed or Nan Gordon at Bookpalsstamfordct@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Emma Prior