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Nonprofits Distribute Thousands Of Books To Elementary-Age Students During School Closure

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Schools, libraries and bookstores are closed, so where is a kid supposed to find something to read?

Ruth Stafford of The Book Foundation says while older children are more adept of navigating the web and electronic offerings from libraries, access to books is woefully inadequate for elementary school students.

"For every 300 kids in low-income neighborhoods, there is one book in the home," she said.

The Book Foundation has teamed with Access Book to distribute 3-book bundles, organized by grade level, to schools with the highest needs in the Los Angeles Unified School District and Compton Unified School District. Since schools have been closed, thousands of books have been given out.

The group typically takes gently-used book donations, but at this time, monetary donations are critically needed so that new books can be distributed to students to prevent any spread of coronavirus.

To donate, visit thebookfoundation.org.

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