Nonprofit on a mission to improve literacy with free books for students
The Brief
Pop-Up Books is a Dallas-based nonprofit organization founded in memory of a second-grade teacher.
The organization visited an elementary school in Richardson on Friday, handing out free books to make reading exciting.
The literacy campaign is especially important at a time when less than half of all students across the state are reading at grade level.
RICHARDSON, Texas - As school districts across North Texas struggle to get children reading at grade level, a Dallas-based nonprofit is working to provide free books in areas known as book deserts.
The backstory
Nick Bourgeois and his sister, Ryann Collier, founded Pop-Up Books in memory of his wife, Dominique, after she died of breast cancer in 2019.
She was a second-grade teacher.
"She fully knew the importance of it, and the confidence it gave them. Especially in second grade where they might be behind, always her mission was to get them back," Bourgeois said.
What's new
The nonprofit organization visited Aiken Elementary in Richardson on Friday, handing out free books to try to make reading enticing.
"We know when students read books they are interested in, they will be interested in reading," said Alejandra Isais, Richardson ISD's director of Library and Information Technology.
Big picture view
Isais said there are still signs of the pandemic's effects on children in schools, especially when it comes to literacy.
According to STAAR testing data, fewer than half of all students across the state are reading at grade level by third grade.
It's why getting kids excited about reading can be the small spark that makes all the difference.
"The critical years are kinder through second grade. If they are not reading at grade level by third grade, that's when it has effects in other areas," Isais said.
What they're saying
"What makes us keep doing this is seeing the smiles on their faces knowing they want to take it home and read with their family or by themselves," Collier said.
"Not all of our kids have access to books or libraries," said Leslie Ingram, Aiken Elementary's library information technology educator. "I heard, 'This is the best day ever, I get to take a book home and it's free!'"
In a world full of learning and entertainment on screens, it's a reminder of just how meaningful words on pages can be.
"In elementary grades, kids are excited to come to the library, pick up a book and read it," Isais said.
Dig deeper
For more information about Pop-Up Books, visit www.popupbooksfair.org.
The Source
FOX 4 reporter Lori Brown visited Aiken Elementary School in Richardson to interview the founders of Pop-Up Books, as well as educators and students who received free books on Friday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Container ship explodes, lights on fire off coast of India, officials searching for 4 missing crew members
NEW DELHI — An explosion and subsequent fire were reported onboard a Singapore-flagged container ship off the coast of Kerala in southern India on Monday, a spokesperson for the Indian Coast Guard said. Of the 22 crew members onboard the MV Wan Hai 503, 18 abandoned the vessel with assistance from the Indian Navy and Coast Guard while four are missing, Commandant Amit Uniyal said in a statement. One of the rescued crew members sustained serious injuries. Two of the four missing are nationals of Taiwan, one is from Indonesia and one from Myanmar, Uniyal said. Smoke rises following an explosion and fire onboard a Singapore-flagged container ship off the coast of Kerala, India, Monday, June 9, 2025. AP The navy and coast guard have launched a search operation for the missing, aided by a Dornier aircraft. The navy uses Dornier aircraft primarily for maritime surveillance, search and rescue operations. A number of ships have also been sent to help put out the fire some 88 nautical miles from the coast of Beypore in Kerala. 'The vessel is presently adrift, and firefighting efforts have commenced to bring the situation under control,' said Uniyal. 'Saving lives of the crew in distress, firefighting and mitigating environment hazard remains the priority for coast guard.' He said they were working to establish the details of the ship's cargo and any potential risks it could cause. The 890-foot vessel left the Sri Lankan port of Colombo on June 7 and was set to arrive in Mumbai, India on Monday. Smoke rises following an explosion and fire onboard a Singapore-flagged container ship off the coast of Kerala, India, Monday, June 9, 2025. AP The coast guard received a distress alert from the ship Monday morning reporting an explosion and subsequent fire inside one of the containers onboard. The fire later spread to other containers. The coast guard has not yet given the cause of the explosion and fire. The vessel is managed by Singapore-based Wan Hai Lines, according to a statement from Singaporean authorities. Late last month, a Liberia-flagged MSC ELSA 3 container ship sailing between the Indian ports of Vizhinjam and Kochi sank about 38 nautical miles off Kerala. The state government issued a high alert in its coastal areas and asked fishermen not to venture near the site where the container ship, which carried hazardous cargo, had sunk.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
54 migrants rescued from oil platform, where one woman gave birth
Over 50 migrants were headed to the Italian island of Lampedusa Sunday after a charity ship rescued them from an abandoned oil platform in the Mediterranean, where one woman gave birth, according to a rescue group. The vessel Astral, operated by the Spain-based NGO Open Arms, rescued the 54 people overnight, the group said in a statement. The migrants had been trapped on the oil platform for three days after their rubber boat shipwrecked following their departure from Libya on Tuesday, Open Arms said. On Friday, one of the migrants gave birth to a boy, while another woman had given birth days before. Two other young children were among the group, Open Arms said. The group released images on social media, showing rescuers helping transfer the migrants from the oil platform to the Astral. Later Sunday, the charity said that, following the rescue of those on the oil platform, the Astral came upon another 109 people, including four people in the water. That group, which included 10 children, had also departed from Libya, it said. Open Arms said they provided life jackets to the migrants before they were rescued by another charity ship, the Louise Michel, which is sponsored by street artist Banksy. The Louise Michel, a former French navy vessel, was transporting the migrants from Lampedusa to a safe port in Sicily, Open Arms said. The Italian island has been the sight of migrant tragedies before. In December, more than 40 migrants were feared dead off Lampedusa after a lone 11-year-old survivor said the boat she was on capsized, according to the rescue group Compass Collective. It is not unusual for migrants crossing the Mediterranean on leaky and overcrowded boats to seek refuge on offshore oil platforms. As of June 1, some 23,000 migrants had reached Italy by sea this year, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Earlier this year, Spanish coastguards rescued a baby that was born on an inflatable vessel carrying migrants to the Canary Islands. The newborn was recovered safely along with their mother on Monday, the coastguard service said in a message on social media. Kristi Noem says "we are not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen" amid L.A. crackdown Magic in the dark: The fantastical worlds of Lightwire Theater Carlos Alcaraz beats Jannik Sinner in epic comeback to win French Open
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Explosion and fire hit Singapore-flagged container ship off southern Indian coast
NEW DELHI (AP) — An explosion and subsequent fire were reported onboard a Singapore-flagged container ship off the coast of Kerala in southern India on Monday, a spokesperson for the Indian Coast Guard said. Of the 22 crew members onboard the MV Wan Hai 503, 18 abandoned the vessel with assistance from the Indian Navy and Coast Guard while four are missing, Commandant Amit Uniyal said in a statement. One of the rescued crew members sustained serious injuries. Two of the four missing are nationals of Taiwan, one is from Indonesia and one from Myanmar, Uniyal said. The navy and coast guard have launched a search operation for the missing, aided by a Dornier aircraft. The navy uses Dornier aircraft primarily for maritime surveillance, search and rescue operations. A number of ships have also been sent to help put out the fire some 88 nautical miles from the coast of Beypore in Kerala. 'The vessel is presently adrift, and firefighting efforts have commenced to bring the situation under control,' said Uniyal. 'Saving lives of the crew in distress, firefighting and mitigating environment hazard remains the priority for coast guard.' He said they were working to establish the details of the ship's cargo and any potential risks it could cause. The 890-foot vessel left the Sri Lankan port of Colombo on June 7 and was set to arrive in Mumbai, India on Monday. The coast guard received a distress alert from the ship Monday morning reporting an explosion and subsequent fire inside one of the containers onboard. The fire later spread to other containers. The coast guard has not yet given the cause of the explosion and fire. The vessel is managed by Singapore-based Wan Hai Lines, according to a statement from Singaporean authorities. Late last month, a Liberia-flagged MSC ELSA 3 container ship sailing between the Indian ports of Vizhinjam and Kochi sank about 38 nautical miles off Kerala. The state government issued a high alert in its coastal areas and asked fishermen not to venture near the site where the container ship, which carried hazardous cargo, had sunk.
