Published on: May 14, 2021 at 6:00 PM

By Donna Cope

Books are gifts that expand your world. As Dr. Seuss said: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

United Way of East Central Alabama (UWECA) recently donated 2,000 books to kindergarteners and first-graders at all public and some private schools throughout Calhoun County. The gift of reading continues to pay off big dividends – with youngsters showing lots of enthusiasm – as they enjoy the free book, “Giraffes Can’t Dance” by British writer and illustrator Giles Andreae. The bestselling book helps dispel negative stereotypes.

But these books include a “little something extra on the cover – a QR code students can use to watch a volunteer read the story,” said Jessica Smith, coordinator of UWECA’s Imagination Library program.

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