Project Books: One Person and a Book Changed My Life Forever

By Alexis Trifon

When I was in kindergarten, I had difficulty with reading and writing. If you know me, you would be shocked by this news or even laugh. Goodreads is one of my most used apps. However, my passion for reading and writing took time and would not have happened without the help of others.

My school notified my parents about my difficulty with reading. Next, they collaborated on a plan to help me. I left my Kindergarten classroom once or twice a week to meet with a reading specialist. We read Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar first. I vividly remember the sweet, nurturing voice of my teacher and the happiness I felt in her classroom. Once we finished the book, we celebrated with a chocolate chip cookie party. While this experience may seem minuscule to some, I believe it changed my life tremendously. Because of my parents, school, and teacher, I felt empowered while reading and writing, which helped me become the person I am today.

According to The Progressive, about 90% of the local and state governments funding for public libraries has been cut after the pandemic, and "cutting school libraries also means increasing racial and class achievement gaps." No child should be at a disadvantage because of a broken and neglected system.

Therefore, Life with Lex will be collecting books, in relatively new condition, to donate to public libraries and public school libraries. This initiative is called Project Books! We hope to collect as many books as possible and will update our community along the way.