Recently, we took a hard look at the effects of Summer Slide on children without access to books. We also saw the incredible effects that providing books over the summer, not only to children in general, but to children from low income families specifically, had on reading, comprehension and test scores.
In that spirit, the Junior League of Washington as a part of their Resolution Read project took Summer Slide head on, distributing 15,000 books from First Book to D.C. Public Schools at Garfield Elementary. Children were asked to perform various physical activites; dancing or doing jumping jacks in order to ‘earn’ their books to take home. Jumping and dancing was led by NFL player Visanthe Shiancoe. After successfully completing their exercises, children went to a table to select books and then
read their new books with volunteers. These books were distributed as part of a program with Let’s Read. Let’s Move, encouraging children to continue moving and learning throughout the summer.
“It feels tremendous to give away the 100,000th book hand-in-hand with partners like CNCS, DCPS, First Book and DC SCORES.” said Wendy Cumberland, President of the Junior League of Washington.
More Great Photos (Courtesy of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
























To share what I call bookjoy, I founded Día: El día de los niños, el día de los libros, Children’s Day, Book Day, to celebrate children and to promote connecting all our children to books, to initiate a national, annual April tradition. Thanks to First Book, many such celebrations place books in the book-hungry hands of children, especially low-income children. Through the years, I see the excitement of children and families. I remember the child who asked, “Is this for me to take home to keep?”




What does a book mean to a child? A book all his or her own? I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have books. I was raised by my grandparents in a house full of books that belonged to my grandmother. I loved to pull the books off the shelves and look through them, even when I didn’t understand most of the words.

