Roscoe Elementary Pupils Check Out New Library

Moments after unveiling the new library at Roscoe Elementary School on Friday morning, kids crowded onto its “story steps,” where teachers may read to them. There, shiny new books and stuffed toys awaited the children.

Quickly making himself at home was second-grader George Perez, 8, who sat on the green-carpeted steps holding a stuffed animal.

“It’s big. I like it,” said George of the new library.

Doubling the size of the library made it easy for many guests to notice the change. The Wonder of Reading, a local organization, oversaw the six-week renovation. The project cost $40,000, which was split by the group and the school, according to second-grade teacher Mayrene Ryan, who chairs the school library committee.

New books were purchased with $10,000 of the funds, she said.

“Our goal is to inspire in children the love of reading,” said Christopher S. Forman, the president of the board at the Wonder of Reading. “If we can do that, we’ll have made a difference in their lives.”

Forman said the nonprofit group refurbishes Los Angeles Unified elementary school libraries that receive inadequate funding from the district and the state for such improvements.

In the past four years, the group has renovated 19 LAUSD elementary school libraries.

Several parents were happy with the Roscoe library’s look, which features new carpeting, paint, private desks for tutoring, and, of course, many new books for the school’s 1,100 students.

“It’s fantastic. They did an excellent job,” said parent Manuel Pelayo, 39, of Sun Valley. “It will help the children a lot. When kids learn to read, they can learn anything.”