Salmon Arm BC, September 7th 2005 - A private citizen’s donation and the support of a local home-based business has netted the Shuswap Family Resource Centre almost $250 in children’s books for the centre’s lending library. Open to the families of the Shuswap, the Family Resource Centre’s library boasts shelves of books for parents and caregivers, and a growing children’s area.

Caroline Johnson, Executive Director of the Family Resource Center, was delighted to receive more than twenty books and puzzles to help stock the children’s library. The donation was initiated back in June of this year through a book display at a local coffee house. Mary Scheidegger, an independent consultant with Usborne Books at Home, was displaying her line of books at the Java Express, when a gentlemen dropped by to take a look. “After browsing and reading for a short time, he reached into his pocket and wrote a cheque… asking only that the books be chosen carefully for a lending library that services Salmon Arm’s disadvantaged children.” says Scheidegger. “I was almost in tears, I was so touched.”

The Family Resource Centre was selected as one of the best candidates to receive this donation, and Caroline Johnson and her staff couldn’t agree more. Johnson was able to choose a variety of books including “situational” story books, craft books, flashcards, baby board books and more. Usborne Books at Home donated another $50 to further increase the donation.

Usborne Books at Home has a number of programs aimed to ensuring all children are turned on to reading, not just at school but at home especially. The focus on early literacy is increasing in this province and across the country as statistics have shown that 25% of our children are not exposed to reading in their critical early years.

(Vancouver Sun, Tuesday, September 06, 2005) A quarter of kindergarten-age children heading to their first day of class today have not been adequately prepared to learn and have a higher chance of dropping out of school before graduation, according to B.C. Education Minister Shirley Bond.

"There are children who arrive at the kindergarten door who have never held a pencil, and also have never been read to or have books of their own," said Bond, referring to widely accepted B.C. research that shows 25 per cent of children starting kindergarten do not have the educational tools they need to succeed.

By offering various programs such as read-a-thons, literacy fairs and adopt-a-book programs thousands of free books have been distributed throughout the Shuswap by Scheidegger’s business, including the S.A.F.E. house, Mt. Ida School, Linda Howarth Preschool, SD 83 and more. More information about how you or your business can help promote literacy and get books in the hands of children is available here www.BookLady.ca