KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Monday, KSHB 41 News kicked off its "If You Give A Child A Book" campaign. Your donation will help buy books for local students to take home.
KSHB 41 is partnering with two Title I schools: Douglass Elementary and the Academy for Integrated Arts.
Nine-year-old Kennedi Davenport is a fourth grade student at the Academy and loves to read.
"I like reading books that I get to pick out because it's fun," Kennedi said.
According to Scholastic, nine out of 10 kids say they're more likely to finish a book if they get to choose it themselves.
It's one of the reasons why Kennedi's teacher, Sarah Horne, has a classroom library, where students can choose from dozens of books.
"It's exciting that we have books that they can see themselves in and see other perspectives as well," Horne said.
Studies show children who aren't reading at grade level by third grade are four times less likely to graduate high school.
"If we want to instill our reader's life, it needs to happen at home too," Horne said. "And students need that access to quality books at home."
"I read at home because I have a bookshelf that's this tall and I have a bunch of books to read," Kennedi said.
"That way reading is not just something you do at school," Horne said. "It's work, it's for enjoyment, it's for fun, it's something I can do at home too."
All it takes is $5 to get a book in the hands of a child who needs one so they can have access to more books at home.
To learn more on how you can donate, click visit the KSHB 41 fundraiser page.
