550 Books

Goal: To create 55 mobile libraries of 10 books each to be donated to community pre-schools throughout the state of León, Nicaragua.

The books will travel in colorful book bags that are sewn locally.

Teachers will be able to exchange their colorful bag of 10 books for a different set each month so the kids have a variety to read throughout the year. This exchange of book bags will take place at a monthly teacher training (such as that pictured here) that takes place in the city of León.

It will be simple to contribute!

• Buy a preschool-level book in Spanish at a larger book store or the Resource Center of the Americas. Or...
• Ask a high school Spanish teacher to implement a class activity where students translate a children's book they have donated from their own, or younger brothers' or sisters' collections. Or...
• Ask primary school teachers to use accumulated Scholastic Book points to purchase preschool books in Spanish. Or...
• Ask any classroom to donate lightly used children's books from home. Connect with high school Spanish teachers or ESL teachers to have advanced Spanish speakers translate them.

See also Stephanie's February letter describing some of the early work on 550 Books.