New Library a Success in Students’ Book

Scrambling with books in hand to the top tier of the group reading area, Tyler Magdaleno and Eric Chavez looked over Noble Avenue Elementary School’s new library and declared its $40,000 renovation an unequivocal success.

“I think it’s cool because it’s got good books and good places for us to read, like up here,” said Tyler, 9, a third-grader.

“Yeah, it has more room and more books and a lot of other stuff too,” agreed Eric, 10, a fourth-grader.

In a ceremony dedicated to the power of reading, Noble’s staff and students held a special assembly for parents, district officials and other guests Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the school’s newly rebuilt library.

The extensive renovation--which school officials say has transformed a cramped, under-equipped facility into a spacious, state-of-the-art learning center--was made possible by a grant from the nonprofit group Wonder of Reading.

Founded in 1994 by Pacific Theaters, Wonder of Reading has now helped 10 Los Angeles Unified School District elementary schools refurbish their libraries.

The organization forms partnerships with schools, providing half the funding necessary for the renovations.

A $20,000 donation from United Airlines enabled Wonder of Reading to pay for its portion of the work at the school.

Noble raised the remainder of the funding on its own.

Besides overseeing the construction work, Wonder of Reading also filled Noble’s library with new books and will provide volunteers to lead tutoring programs at the school, which serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

“Our library has turned out to be a beautiful, inviting place for children to be,” said Noble Principal Ruth Jackson. “It’s something that we would never have had the money or the ability to do on our own.”

School Board President Julie Korenstein, who was on hand for the dedication, said that reading is the most important subject for elementary students.

“A miracle has happened,” she said. “The greatest gift we can give our children is the gift of reading, and that’s what they are being given here at this elementary school.”