Young Readers Raise Money For Library

Reading and the spirit of giving begin early in the Buccilli family.

New Baltimore resident Collette Buccilli and her daughters Nicolina and Isabella are frequent visitors to in the city's downtown. They appreciate the walking proximity from their home and the excellent, caring staff, they said.

Buccilli decided a few months ago to make a donation to the library's giving tree, specifically to buy a leaf plaque, but did not want to just write a check.

"I wanted to make the donation meaningful to the girls, so they would feel more connected to the library," she said. "One day, I told them that I would give them $1 for every book that they read and once they hit 100, they could buy a leaf on the tree with their names on it."

Nicolina, age 7 and a second-grader atand her sister Isabella, who will be entering kindergarten at the same school, immediately teamed up to read 100 books within two months.  They were proud to present the $100 check to the library this month.

"Giving the check made me feel good and important," said Nicolina.  "I really like hanging out at the library with all the books and Miss Kelly is my favorite."  

Bucilli's generosity not only teaches her girls the spirit of community giving, but also has helped highlight the importance of reading in general.

"My husband and I believe that reading is the foundation and the basis of everything," said Buccilli. "For Nicolina, it has reinforced her early love of reading and she's now reading at a fifth-grade level. For Isabella, this additional reading and goal has helped push her more toward it. I know that it has helped her prepare for kindergarten; she now knows her 50 sight words."

To reach their 100-book goal, Nicolina read mostly adventure and chapter books and Isabella stuck with the Disney princess stories.

"My favorite books are about the princesses and Dr. Seuss," said Isabella. "And I like to go to the library so I can read more books."

The giving tree program is a way for friends of the library and residents to donate to help with expenses and renovations. In fact, the children's section of the library is undergoing expansion.

"The girls were given the opportunity to raise money for a charity of choice and they choose reading as their fundraising method and the library as the beneficiary of their goodwill and $100," Librarian Mary Jo Beranek said. "This is remarkable when you consider the girls ages are 5 and 7. The library is very proud to be the recipient of choice for these two young girls."