The Hudson Literacy Fund and the Hudson City School District parent teacher organization launched a new partnership this year at the annual spring Scholastic Book Fair at Montgomery C. Smith Elementary School. Aimed at providing each student with the opportunity to receive a free book, the HLF and PTO worked together to ensure each student had a credit of up to ten dollars to use towards the purchase of any book purchase. For this year’s fair, held the week of March 17th, the program resulted in the purchase of 637 books which translated to 92% of the student body receiving a free book.
Nearly 70% of students in the district live below the poverty line. For many Hudson families, purchasing books is a luxury. Yet, research tells us that the mere presence of a home library increases children’s academic success, vocabulary development, and future job attainment. Central to the students’ academic success is reading. The Hudson Literacy Fund was founded on the belief that reading sparks joy, curiosity, and empathy and that every young person should have access to books and why it has continued to champion programs focused on book ownership and literacy skills. We believe every child deserves access to books, which do more than just educate—they create moments of wonder, connection, and pride.
Of the new partnership, HLF board president Christian Trimmer says, “The Hudson Literacy Fund is always looking for new opportunities to put books into the hands and homes of Hudson’s youth. My fellow board members and I all remember the joy of walking through the Scholastic Book Fair back when we were kids, so we’re thrilled to work with the PTO to ensure that every child has the chance to go home with a book. ”
