Hundreds of families and educators came out to pick up free books Sunday at the annual BTU book giveaway as the new school years kicks off this fall.
“I am ecstatic about all this this happening today, and all the beautiful children inside getting all their books,” said BTU event organizer Brenda Chaney. “This is always a wonderful day. Absolutely a joy.”
The Boston Teachers Union, along with the nonprofit First Books, distributes around 40,000 books to students and educators at the annual giveaway and resource fair event, sending kids back to school with new reading material.
The union has hosted the event for 13 years, Chaney said, growing the fair over time with face painting, food, resource tables and more. After the event, the union will continue to give out the remaining books to educators and nonprofits.
Janitzia Matthews came out Sunday with her 6-year-old son Jaime for their fourth year, along with her mom Yasmina Rhaves, a BPS teacher at the Ellison-Parks School. Jaime pointed out a book with dinosaurs in one of their bags.
Rhaves said she always brings lots of books back for her classroom and school,
“We have open house coming up Thursday,” Rhaves said. “So I’ll display them and have them select books for their classes. It’s been rewarding just to see them excited for the books. It makes me feel good.”
Rhaves said her grandson took to the event, grabbing a book Sunday and starting reading.
“He loves to read,” said Matthews, smiling at her son standing at another book stack. “He’s very interested in the books.”
AFT President Jessica Tang said the event started with just 1,000 book at White Stadium.
“It was so successful that the next year we had 10,000 books, but then shortly after that we started doing 40,000 books a year because we would just run out of books so quickly,” Tang said.
Over the last 13 years, Tang said, they’ve given out at least close to one million books.
“Particularly in this moment in time when we are battling screens all the time, I think it’s even more important that students have books at home,” Tang said. “Having books at home and having your own library also, I think, instills a love of learning.”
Local dad Jeffrey Jules attended the giveaway with his two pre-school-age daughters for the first time Sunday afternoon, grabbing a Christmas book off one stack. 2 daughters, pre school
“We love to read every night,” Jules said, who said he was picking up a few for his sister and her new child too. “We read a story, or a couple pages at least. I know they’re gonna have a thrill.”
Jules encouraged the organizers to “keep going,” adding “the community really enjoys these events.”