Free Books for Kids Town Board Member Cathryn Buonocore, left, a teacher at St. Joseph Catholic School, is working with Free Books Founder/Director Ruby Wiles to prepare the hundreds of books they and other volunteers will give away at Warren’s Independence Day parade.

Free Books for Kids Town Founder/Director Ruby Wiles, board members, and volunteers will be at Warren’s Fourth of July parade giving away books.

“The parade is such a great opportunity for us to reach children, especially those whose families might not have the resources to buy books for them,” Wiles said. “And having a book that they chose themselves can go a long way toward a child’s literacy and success in life.”

Wiles explains that summer is a crucial time for children to be reading. Reading is a skill that needs practicing, and when children don’t practice, they lose their ability. Then, they start school behind their peers who have been reading all summer. Adding, that summer and the holiday celebration is a thrilling time to be engaging children in reading.

Wiles and her team plan to be on the streets before 10 a.m., and will circulate with their wagonloads of books while spectators are waiting for the parade to begin at 11 a.m. and as it travels east along Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Warren.

Free Books would like to thank Darling’s Family of Services, the students of St. Joseph Catholic School, and Thrivent Action Team volunteers and grant for making this possible.

Free Books for Kids Town is a nonprofit whose mission is children’s literacy and education. Its goals are to provide books that match children’s interests and to spark their love of learning. To learn more and to make a donation to support literacy, go to FreeBooksKidsTown.com.

To volunteer, contact Free Books Founder/Director Ruby Wiles at KidsBooks4Free@gmail.com.