Local 10 Big Book Drive to distribute free new books

Distribution to take place this month at select South Florida schools

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – The Local 10 Big Book Drive was created to give South Florida children who wouldn’t otherwise have access to brand-new books the gift of reading. Since the campaign’s inception in 2016, approximately 137,000 books have been collected and distributed.

The campaign works by connecting with school administrators in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties and identifying public schools that serve children in predominantly low-income areas. Research shows that in middle-income neighborhoods, the ratio of books per child is 13-to-1, while in low-income neighborhoods, the ratio is one book for every 300 children. Research also indicates the most successful way to improve the reading achievement of low-income children is to increase their access to print.

Once the schools are selected, our Local 10 crew visits those schools and distributes the new books to every student. This year, we will be following that same model while adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols at the respective elementary and middle schools.

Because of COVID restrictions, we are not accepting book donations from the public and are working directly with the schools.

Local 10 will be at the schools this month to distribute the books to students in the classroom and in a drive-thru format. There will be no walk-up distributions. Books will be distributed until supplies last. Stay tuned to Local 10 News for more details.

The Big Book Drive is part of Local 10′s “My Future, My Choice” initiative, which was created to address youth gun violence and help pave a path to solutions. Since its inception, Vera Cadillac Buick GMC has sponsored this program and generously donates the books.


About the Author:

Mayte Padron Cordones is an Emmy-award winning journalist and the director of WPLG's Community Relations Department, overseeing the station's outreach initiatives to benefit and strengthen the South Florida community.