41.5 F
Indianapolis
Friday, March 29, 2024

Free book fair aims to keep kids reading over the summer

New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, The Oaks Academy and Black WorldShooler Mobile Bookstore hosted a free book fair for families in the Martindale-Brightwood community

More by this author

Zariyah Thomas looks amongst the rows of books neatly stacked on tables inside New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. Her grandmother Lilian Henderson points out which ones she thinks the eight-year-old would like.

After browsing excitedly, Thomas picks up ā€œI Love My Beautiful Hairā€ by Elissa Wentt, ā€œI Love Being Me!ā€ by Mechal Renee Roe and ā€œPool Dayā€ by Melissa Boyd.

Natalie Pipkin, the founder of Black WorldSchooler Mobile Bookstore, walks over. She introduces herself before taking a picture of the duo.

RELATED: Alumni remember John Hope School on 100th anniversary

Pipkinā€™s bookstore provided more than 500 books to the church for a book fair held Saturday in the Martindale-Brightwood community. The bookstore has been online since 2020, and she launched their mobile bookstore on Juneteenth 2022.

Free book fair aims to keep kids reading over the summer
8-year-old Zariah Thomas and her grandmother Lilian Henderson posing with their free books from Black WorldSchooler Mobile Bookstore (Photo/Jade Jackson)

Free book fair: highlighting Black authors

ā€œWe are a one-of-kind bookstore on wheels sharing stories that uplift Black life, Black heritage and Black joy. Our mission is to create access and awareness to Black stories as well as excitement and engagement around reading. So,weā€™re like a bookstore with ice cream truck energy,ā€ said Pipkin.

She consciously curates the books she provides, which are all by Black authors.

ā€œ[Weā€™re] sharing stories that are too often and intentionally left off the shelves: Stories that shape the way we think, see ourselves and see each other. When I go to schools, I donā€™t see them on the shelves, and they exist. I get my books from the same place any bookstore does,ā€ said Pipkin.

Free book fair aims to keep kids reading over the summer
Black WorldSchooler Mobile Bookstore launched its bookstore on wheels Juneteenth 2022 (Photo/Jade Jackson)

Chairman of New Bethelā€™s Board of Trustees Eric Yancy, who is a published author, said the purpose of the free book fair is to keep kids reading over the summer.

ā€œThereā€™s about a 20-25% summer slide where what they learn in the school year tends to drift down over the summer. So, if we can keep them reading over the summer, at least those reading skills would stay up,ā€ said Yancy.

Free book fair: collaborating with community

The church collaborated with Pipkin and The Oaks Academy, a private Christ-centered school serving pre-k through eighth grade, for the book fair.

ā€œNatalieā€™s got the book mobile, which is a fantastic outreach, Oaks Academy is a great school and New Bethel is a historic church. Itā€™s been here since 1875. We want to keep as much community involvement as we can because itā€™s all about outreach, and itā€™s really about the kids,ā€ he said.

Brooke Reeves with The Oaks Academy said they have always had a strong partnership with New Bethel. Their middle school students attend chapel at the church.

Oaks Academy has three campuses, with one in the Martindale-Brightwood community.

Free book fair aims to keep kids reading over the summer
Phil takes a picture of his one-year-old son Zac at the free book fair inside New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church (Photo/Jade Jackson)

The academy is housed in the historic John Hope School 26 building, which at one time served the largest population of African American public-school students in the city and is located directly across from the church.

ā€œWeā€™ve been able to form a relationship with the John Hope alumni, and thatā€™s been a critical part of us being in this community and having this campus here. Weā€™re thankful that we get to be a part of this community and they embraced and welcomed us,ā€ said Reeves.

Paul Dickens is the owner of Paulā€™s Kitchen LLC. His food truck usually sells Vietnamese dishes with an American twist. However, for the event, he catered free hamburgers, chicken tenders, grilled cheese sandwiches and fries.

Free book fair: “it’s really about the kids”

Free book fair aims to keep kids reading over the summer
Paul Dickenā€™s is the owner of Paulā€™s Kitchen LLC. His children attend the Oaks Academy (Photo/Jade Jackson)

ā€œThis event is a great thing. I like doing anything that involves kids. My kids are students of The Oaks Academy, so Iā€™m glad to be a part of it,ā€ said Dickens.

Knowing that Indianaā€™s literacy rates are around the national average, according to the Nationā€™s Report Card, Pipkins said this book fair is her doing her part to bridge the gap between Black children specifically and books.

ā€œThey shape our imagination. Itā€™s not just about Black history; Itā€™s about Black life, and Black life is vast. So, we have books that show Black children imagining they can fly and save the world. There are so many stories to share. Black books are diverse with different genres,ā€ said Pipkin.

Yancy said the church will be hosting a backpack fair at the end of the summer before children go back to school.

The mobile bookstore travels within a 350-mile radius and can be booked for all types of occasions, such as birthdays, family events and school events.

Free book fair aims to keep kids reading over the summer
Admissions Recruitment Manager for the Oaks Academy, Rachael Truitt (Photo/Jade Jackson)

Contact staff writer Jade Jackson at 317-607-5792 or by email JadeJ@IndyRecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON

- Advertisement -
ads:

Upcoming Online Townhalls

- Advertisement -

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest local news.

Stay connected

1FansLike
1FollowersFollow
1FollowersFollow
1SubscribersSubscribe

Related articles

Popular articles

EspaƱol + Translate Ā»
Skip to content