Girl Scout Collecting Books For 5th Grade Students

Katie Zimmermann, a 16-year-old Girl Scout with the Mountainside Ambassador Girl Scout Troop 40851, has chosen collecting books for the 5th Grade students at George Washington School in Hillside as her Girl Scout Gold Award Project.
“Super Storm Sandy in 2012 flooded Hillside’s Public Library, which has still not fully recovered, and students in the school are urged to share books with their neighbors because they are scarce. My goal is to collect a minimum of 350 new or gently used books in the fifth to eighth grade reading levels to help alleviate this problem, and I need the help and support of the community,” Zimmermann explained.
The teen explained that she plans to set up a “Book Bandy” location in the Hillside school where students can select a book and will not have to return it until they are finished reading it, because they won’t be restricted by a due date. “The books will include a review sticker with a 5 Star Rating Scale to encourage discussion. The kids will see what their classmates thought about different books and that will help them decide what to read. The Book Bandy also will allow students to try different types of books with no pressure of time or commitment. If they start a book and don’t like it, they can return it and select another. They can keep the books as long as they want because these books are meant for pleasure reading.
“Hopefully, this will encourage students to try larger and more challenging books than they might otherwise not be able to finish in a prescribed time frame,” said. Zimmermann, an avid reader. The real focus of the “Book Bandy” is to foster a love of reading that the fifth graders will carry forward as they continue through high school and beyond. She is reaching out to publishing companies for book donations and has placed a collection bin in the Mountainside Library to collect books. “From my own reading experience, when I finish a book I try to pass it on to someone else. My Book Bandy presents the perfect solution to what to do with a book you purchased when you’re finished. Also, for those who would be willing to donate to this project, but don’t have any books in these reading levels, an Amazon Wish List has been created by the school’s fifth graders and their teachers. Interested residents can use the link http://amzn.com/w/1F1REPWY2JHXH to purchase a book from the list. Also, there are other ways to contribute to this worthy cause by donating other reading-related supplies,” she explained.
Zimmermann said she hopes to reach her goal and realizes it can be done with just one book at a time. For more information, please contact her via email at katiezim18@gmail.com.