A new effort is underway in one western Massachusetts city to get young children to pick up a book, or two, before they head back to school in a few weeks.
A new bookmobile will begin visits to the Springfield school’s summer meals sites to lend children’s books. In addition, third-graders in summer school will each receive a book to take home.
Sally Fuller, the director of a community initiative to improve early literacy, said they expect to distribute up to 2,000 books.
" Summer learning loss is very real and for disadvantaged kids it is even more real because they often don't catch up," said Fuller.
The books were selected by child development specialists, purchased by the behavioral health agency Brightside, and will be delivered in a retrofitted van supplied by Pride Stores.
