Students Donate Books to Needy Watts School

A book drive at Brookside Elementary School helped deliver more than 3,700 modern children’s books to the needy library of Weigand Avenue Elementary School in Watts.

Brookside students were asked to donate three or four books from their home collections appropriate for children in grades kindergarten through 5, and to include a bookplate explaining why they liked the book.

The book drive, spearheaded by the school’s PTA, was in conjunction with Access Books, a nonprofit group that brings books to needy schools. Books in the library at Weigand Avenue Elementary reportedly had an average publication date of 1955.

At Brookside, the initial goal of gathering 1,500 books was surpassed within the first few days, school officials said. They plan to continue the program every year.