The Book Drive

Reading Comprehension for September 8

The community center held a book drive for the new literacy program. The town's Hispanic community had been growing rapidly. While some could speak and read English, others needed to learn the English language. Therefore, the community center created a program to meet the need. The word had gone out that the center needed a variety of books written in English with reading levels up through 8th grade.

Kameko & Nari were Japanese girls who had been born in the U.S.A. Their parents had blessed them with an extensive book collection. They had kept every book that had ever been given to them, from preschool up to 6th grade. When Kameko heard about the book drive, she started thinking about donating some of her books. It was such a worthy cause! The children would enjoy her storybooks as much as she had when she first received them!

As she fingered her old Mercer Mayer "Little Critter" books, Kameko smiled. These were the first books she had read to herself. Surely another child would enjoy the pictures and the stories. She also had beginner books about dinosaurs that she was ready to pass along.

Deep in thought over which of her books to give away, Kameko was startled when Nari spoke.

"What are you doing with all those baby books?" she asked.

"They aren't baby books," Kameko retorted. "Anyway, I'm trying to decide which ones to give to the community center. Are you going to donate any books to the literacy program?"

Nari snorted. "Why should I? They're my books."

"You don't read them anymore," Kameko pointed out.

"So?"