Mrs. Prentice's 'puppies' kindergarten class at Laurel Mountain Elementary recently celebrated Libraries of Love. Students collected books and made a cake.

Sisters Makenna, 6, and Melany, 2, combined to collect books from friends and family. Most of the books were donated from Melany's 2nd birthday party. Makenna donated several of her books as well. Friends and family members also pitched in. Thanks to the girls and their family for supporting Libraries of Love.

Thanks to Logan, a kindergarten student at Laurel Mountain Elementary, who raised funds for Libaries of Love by selling lemonade.  Pictured with him are Mrs. Hanson, left, and Mrs. Prentice, Logan's teacher.

Laurel Mountain Elementary school, at which Libraries of Love Executive Director Trudy Marshall is librarian, raised over $11,000 for Libraries of Love during the 3rd annual Read-a-Thon. The Read-a-Thon encourages students to read while collecting donations to help provide libraries for students in Uganda.  Students read 166,804 minutes - 2,780 hours - and collected $11,322.67, which will pay for shipping and customs fees for our 2010 libraries. 

To show their appreciation, on March 9 the principal, assistant principal, and Trudy danced the Miley Cyrus "Hoedown Throwdown" in front of the whole school. "The kids loved it, but it was difficult for us "old" people," Trudy said. "I wore the Reading Rocks flashy t-shirt given to me by the Illinois ladies (volunteers) last year to give me courage."

We appreciate the continued support of family foundations like the $1,200 grant from The Charles and Betti Saunders Foundation/Steve, Kate, and Ian Saunders.  Libraries of Love is a a tax-exempt nonprofit charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.  Donations to Libraries of Love are deductible for federal income tax purposes. 

Thanks to Herff Jones Education Division, which again this year donated maps and globes for our 2010 project schools.

Included in this year's shipment to Uganda were 14 boxes of globes and 7 boxes of maps, including wall maps of Africa like the one pictured here from 2009.

This is the fourth year that we've received books from Bound to Stay Bound Books, and we appreciate their continued support. 

Bound to Stay Bound Books is a third generation family owned business in Jacksonville, Illinois, that is positioned as the "world's foremost prebinder of junvenile books."