Families head back to school across the state with help from Books Are Wings.

It has been a busy and exciting few weeks for the Books Are Wings team and for schools around the state as students head back to school. During the last weeks of August, many schools hosted back to school events, carnivals and tours and Books Are Wings was there to support these community events with free books on hand for families. Volunteers or staff bring an age appropriate selection of books in a wide variety of topics, selecting books that will allow children to read something they are excited about. The BAW book table is set up alongside other community partners, and families are welcomed to select a book as they participate in other school readiness programs such as haircuts, eye screenings and classroom tours.

Research suggests that growing up in a home with at least 20 books is associated with 3 additional years of schooling for children. By starting the year off with new books to add to their personal libraries, learners have easy access to practice the reading and literacy skills they are learning during the school day. Books Are Wings believes every child should experience the joy of reading and envisions every child in Rhode Island with access to quality reading experiences and books. We will be on hand at community and school events throughout the year to support this continued access to reading materials.

The gallery below shows firsthand the experience of families selecting their reading materials at back-to-school events, and the simple pleasure of getting lost in a good book.