A Book for Every Student

Nalani Ngoon Warde, Librarian at Ruby Bridges Elementary, requested an AEF Mini Grant to support literacy at her school by allowing all 459 Ruby Bridges learners to choose a book at their Scholastic Book Fair. This special project was inspired by Franklin school (whose PTA purchases a book for every learner at their book fair) that Ms. Warde hoped to make an annual project.

The Scholastic book fair is currently Ruby Bridge's library's only source of funding to purchase books. Ms. Warde noted that school book fairs are deeply inequitable because many learners cannot afford to shop at the book fair. In addition, research shows that socio-economically disadvantaged households often have very few books in the home, and of those books it is unlikely that they will be at the reading level of the children in the home.

With this grant, each class was able to shop the book fair during their library hour, and each student got to choose one book that was theirs to keep and take home!

“There is research to indicate that book ownership can have a positive impact on learners. Many of our learners do not have the means to shop the book fair or visit book stores. It was so wonderful to be able to provide a more equitable book fair experience this year where every single Ruby learner got to choose a book from the book fair. Thank you so much for making this possible AEF!”  Nalani Warde (Ruby Bridges Librarian)