The Associated Students of the University of Nevada (ASUN) Bookstore is “planting the seed to read” by partnering with six local Washoe County School District elementary schools and is giving each school’s library $500 worth of books.

“The schools are getting a customized order of books,” said Teree Yount, general book buyer for the University of Nevada, Reno’s ASUN Bookstore. “The bookstore raised about $600 for this project and then contributed the rest of the money needed to the schools.”

The Plant the Seed to Read Program, a community outreach project, was conceived by ASUN Bookstore Manager Marie Stewart after an event last year raised money to give each child at Sierra Vista Elementary School one book. This year, they wanted to expand the project and help multiple schools.

“One librarian consulted teachers and students at her school to decide which books the children would most want to have,” Yount said. “Others ordered ’classics’ written by J.R.R. Tolkein, Roald Dahl and Judy Blume.

The bookstore ordered $3,000 in books on behalf of a wish list from each school’s librarian. Throughout this week, May 9-13, Yount will deliver the books to the schools and read portions of the selected books to students.

“After reading at Sierra Vista elementary, one kid came up to me, asked my name, then hugged me,” Yount said. “He wouldn’t let go for a full minute. After he was done, a couple more (students) came and hugged me.”

Yount visited Lena Juniper Elementary and read to sixth-grade students on May 9. She visited Sierra Vista Elementary and read to third-grade students on May 10.

The remaining schedule is as follows (Agnes Risley Elementary is yet to be scheduled):

• 9-11 a.m., Wednesday, May 11  – Robert Mitchell Elementary School, second-, third- and fourth-grade reading
• 9 a.m., Thursday, May 12  – Desert Heights Elementary School
• 9:45 a.m., Friday, May 13 – Glenn Duncan Elementary School, second-grade reading

To learn more about the ASUN Bookstore, go to the Nevada Wolf Shop.