New monthly event series encourages local kids to read

A Stratford woman has made it her mission to encourage kids of all ages to read more — and own more of the books they love — by providing one free book to kids at a new monthly event.

Article content

Andrea Quesnelle started Stratford Books for Kids, in part, as a way to connect more with her local community. After learning about a program that provided kids in school a free book on their birthdays, she said she decided to provide a similar program to help foster “a love of reading and a love of books in kids of all ages.”

“I know that for some of the kids, that’s an exciting part of their birthday celebration,” Quesnelle said. “So I thought, ‘what about if we could come up with an event like this so that kids don’t only get one chance a year to get a free book,’ and if we can bring this opportunity to them on a regular basis , so kids can take advantage of the fact that they can get books and choose new ones regularly.”

As someone who works as a documentary television producer, Quesnelle’s love of storytelling came from reading extensively when she was a child, she said.

Article content

“l think reading opens lots of doors. I think it’s being curious about the world, whether you are interested in non-fiction or fiction. You know, storytelling is a big part of life. . . . I think that the more that kids are exposed to books and learn to love them, the more opportunities that open up for them throughout life.”

Needing plenty of books to run the program, Quesnelle put out a call earlier this year on several Facebook groups related to parenting and literacy and got a “great response,” with some people donating five books and others donating 100. Quesnelle estimated she’s received more than 1,400 books, including several board and picture books ideal for younger kids

“As parents, we end up with a lot of books on our shelves gathering dust because kids outgrow books the same way they outgrow clothes. We want them to outgrow their books because we want their ability to read to increase as they get older, and for their interest in stories to become more sophisticated. So it’s only natural that kids outgrow books,” Quesnelle said.

Article content

Once the donations started arriving in May and June, Quesnelle and her husband, along with their own kids, went through and sorted them by genre to make easier for kids to find what they’re interested in when making their selections on event days. This took about a week of work, Quesnelle said.

“There were a few that we weed out just because they had been colored in or had a page missing or something like that, but most of them are in beautiful condition,” she said.

The donated books cover many different genres and age groups — and often cover the family’s dining room table on Monday mornings.

“I have French books. I have graphic novels. I’ve got picture books. We’ve got early chapter books and young adult novels and non-fiction. So hopefully among all of that, kids are able to find one book that they want to take home,” said Quesnelle.

Article content

Quesnelle said the program really doesn’t compete with the services offered by local libraries, noting the many programs the Stratford Public Library provides, for example, but emphasized there is something special about owning books.

“Especially when you find books that you love, there’s something comforting about having it on your bookshelf, and whether you return to it regularly, I think that’s a great thing. So I think borrowing books and owning books are both important,” she said.

Quesnelle is running the program at time when the books that kids are reading have been brought to the forefront of the public conversation, but she will not be a “censor of books,” she said.

“Parents, of course, are welcome to be there and help their kids choose books. . . . What I’m encouraging is children to pick their own books from the collection. I think when kids choose their own books, they are going to choose something that they are interested in or that looks interesting to them. . . (and) they’re more inclined to read it,” said Quesnelle, while noting there’s not anything in the collection of donated materials that people would consider controversial.

The next Stratford Books for Kids event will be held at Shakespeare public school on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 am to 1 pm Events are also scheduled for Nov. 23 and Dec. 21. Those wishing to donate books can contact Quesnelle at [email protected] or through the Stratford Books for Kids Facebook group.

[email protected]
@Reporter_Bill

Article content