On Wednesday, August 3, Bernie's Book Bank, with assistance from Hyatt Thrive, distributed over 3,900 books to children at Back of the Yards Branch. The event was part of CPL's Rahm's Readers Summer Learning Challenge.
Each child who attended the event chose 12 free books to take home courtesy of Bernie's Book Bank. Research shows that providing children with a variety of reading materials helps them develop into stronger readers more likely to read at grade level or above. After the kids chose their books, they took part in fun STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) activities—building clothespin racers, making license plate necklaces and playing with travel-themed dress-up clothes.
The event was supported by many community organizations, which provided our patrons with information about their programs and resources. Participating organizations included The Cara Program, City of Chicago’s Bicycling Ambassadors, Childhood Asthma Initiative, Chicago Commons, Girl Scouts, Plant Chicago, Metropolitan Family Services, Oak Street Health and Spanish Coalition for Housing.
