Children Read Donated books help bring literacy kids around Intown

Children Read founder and president Marlene Zeiler, left, used her experience as owner of Tall Tales Books to create the nonprofit literary organization.

As books poured in from former customers, she approached her old landlord, Clyde Sheppard. “Do you have space you want to give me?” Zeiler asked him. He did – and rent-free.

Today, Children Read collects, repairs and distributes gently used or new books to children aged birth to five at 28 Head Starts, primarily near downtown Atlanta (Sheltering Arms) and Clarkston (Partnership for Community Action), and to 30 pre-K programs housed in DeKalb County Title 1 Schools.

“We go to these schools with our volunteers, read a story in each classroom and leave a bag of books for each child to take home. Many of these children don’t have books at home and often get to kindergarten without the basic skills for beginning to read,” said Cindy Jaret, Children Read Vice President and former pre-K teacher.

shapes and rhymes.

And once you’re done at home, consider organizing a book drive. In 2015, The Goddard Schools banded together to collect 28,000 books for Children Read and in April, followed up with another 16,000 books.

Other schools, scout troops, churches and synagogues have also answered the call. Eagle Scout, Nathaniel Anderson collected 1,600 books to Children Read.

Children Read could always use more volunteers to prepare the book bags or read in the schools. The organization wants to expand to other low income pre-K programs in Atlanta, Fulton, Gwinnett and Cobb counties.

“In the meantime some of those DeKalb teachers are going to be calling me next year –because they want us to come back for the new kids,” Jaret said.

By Clare S. Richie

It’s early May and the headquarters for Children Read, an efficient space tucked behind the Fidelity Bank across from Toco Hills shopping center, is humming with activity. Children’s books fill every nook and cranny of this all-volunteer operation, but they are not here for long. Some are headed to Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Center’s East Lake location, where 78 children ages 3-5 are about to each receive a bag of five books, and 56 babies will get a bag of three books each.

“We have given away over 31,000 books to more than 1,000 children,” Marlene Zeiler, Children Read Founder and President, said.

In 2013, even though Zeiler sold the Tall Tales Books Shop that she owned and operated since 1979, she wasn’t ready to part with books. Thankfully, she wouldn’t have to.

By happenstance, she had heard an NPR story a few weeks prior about a children’s book bank in Portland, Oregon. This sparked Zeiler’s next chapter – she would collect books and give them to low-income preschoolers.

“My mantra is reading is forever; start early. These kids need to have a chance to do that,” Zeiler said.

In fact, 61 percent of lower income families have no children’s books in the home. This lack of early exposure to books is one of the biggest obstacles to literacy and to later school success. Sadly, those who are poor readers in third grade will likely remain so in high school.

“The children are very excited to get their own books and talk about who could read to them and who they could read to,” Jaret added. Reading with their parents will help improve their parent’s literacy skills, too. So clean off those bookshelves this summer and get ready to donate.

“Anybody and everybody can collect books,” Jaret urged. They’d love your board books, picture books, storybooks and those that introduce the alphabet, numbers,

“But we’ll do it,” Zeiler reassured.

Book Donation Sites

■ 2936M North Druid Hills Road on Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or email childrenread@earthlink.net for other arrangements.

■ Little Shop of Stories

133-A East Court Square, Decatur

■ Tall Tales Book Shop

Toco Hill Shopping Center

2105 Lavista Road

For more info, see childrenreadatlanta.org or follow on Facebook.

By Clare S. Richie

The Highland Avenue Bridge between Randolph and Sampson Streets has a fresh new look that celebrates the Old Fourth Ward community as seen through the eyes of its young residents.

Local artist Lauren Pallotta Stumberg worked with Hope-Hill Elementary School’s 4th graders to develop the mural design.

“It was a community effort. Designed by kids, facilitated by me, and painted by members of the community,” Stumberg said.

Stumberg applied for a Neighborhood Arts Grant from the City of Atlanta’s Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs with Fourth Ward Neighbors (FWN), her neighbors who live between Freedom Parkway and DeKalb Ave, Boulevard and the BeltLine.

Once the grant was approved last August, FWN encouraged Stumberg to build on its relationship with Hope-Hill by involving students. Perhaps by fate, Stumberg and Hope-Hill’s Art teacher, Patricia Jackson, discovered they lived in the same building.

The timing was perfect for Jackson’s fourth graders. “We’d been talking about muralists versus graffiti artists,” Jackson reflected.

After reviewing different elements of street art, Stumberg guided the students through activities to elicit their vision. Each student expressed in words or drawings what he or she thought of community. The images revealed a happy and healthy neighborhood.

Then Stumberg traced a drawing from each student onto transparent paper, scanned it and enlarged it. At her next school visit, she placed the enlarged images on the wall and students painted their designs – seeing how the mural would come together.

“The design evolved into a large-scale ‘wallpaper’ of their drawings and ideas that celebrate the neighborhood’s walkable and bikable pathways, parks, buildings, servicemen, residents and more,” Stumberg shared.

To paint the mural, Stumberg once again created a process to involve her neighbors.

“It was basically paint by numbers to make it full-proof for volunteers. It’s been very participatory,” Stumberg said.

“When the students look at it, they can see – this is mine,” Jackson said.

Stumberg has applied for more art funding to beautify two more bridges and electrical boxes in the O4W. Fingers crossed until August.

“I hope we can collaborate again next school year,” Jackson said.

“When our students see something that they helped create have a positive impact on their neighborhood and surrounding communities, it instills a sense of pride,” Hope Hill Principal Maureen Wheeler added.

Pet Pick

Wisconsin came to us with his mother and siblings when he was just a day or two old. Everyone loves his smart, sweet personality. Wisconsin is friendly with people and does well with other dogs when he is properly introduced. He would love to have a human who is willing to help him learn the basics of how to thrive in a home. If you’re active and love exercise and fresh air, Wisconsin would be a great fit. To adopt Wisconsin, visit PAWS Atlanta at pawsatlanta.org or drop by the shelter at 5287 Covington Highway in Decatur.

Pet Briefs

An Atlanta dog was named to Milk-Bone’s third annual list of Dogs Who Changed The World. Pixel, a labradoodle/golden retriever mix, is a service dog that works with pet parent, Erin, who leads an active lifestyle but also suffers from diabetes and epilepsy. Whether she’s running cross-country next to Erin, or playing Frisbee at the park, Pixel is a dog that is trained to know when Erin’s blood sugar is low or is near an epileptic episode. Pixel was a “top-dog” graduate of the Canine Assistants School, which trains high-functioning service dogs to be the superpups of the canine world. Thanks to support from MilkBone, Canine Assistants has placed more than 2,000 hero dogs with individuals across the U.S.

History Repeating

The Hyatt Regency Atlanta hotel in Downtown officially celebrated its 50th birthday last month with a special party attended by local officials and guests. Designed by noted architect John Portman, the Hyatt opened in 1967 and quickly garnered international acclaim for its soaring 22-story open atrium, futuristic elevators and the spinning, blue-domed “spaceship” on the roof that houses the Polaris restaurant.