MONTVALE—Before school broke for a hot and muggy simmer (sorry, summer), on Tuesday, May 28 Montvale’s Memorial Elementary School hosted a cool and refreshing event as members of the Montvale Police Department lent their time and talent to the Books and Badges program, designed to foster a love for reading among the youngest members of our community.
The initiative, in collaboration with The Starfish Assignment, “a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to supporting law enforcement officers as they serve their communities,” saw the donation of 200 books for the kindergarten and first-grade students. Officers not only read these books aloud, they also provided each student with a personal copy to take home.
Each book, promises The Starfish Assignment, has a bookplate sticker in it that says it’s a gift from children’s law enforcement friends.
Pascack Press is told the kindergarteners delighted in the whimsical tale of “If You Give a Pig a Pancake” (1998) by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond, while the first-graders dove into the adventurous “Clark the Shark” (2013) by Bruce Hale with illustrations by Guy Francis.
(“Clark the Shark,” says its publisher, “celebrates boisterous enthusiasm—and knowing when it’s time for indoor voices! A great choice for circle time or for sharing one on one with your energetic little shark.” In “If You Give a Pig a Pancake” “readers will delight in the story of an accommodating little girl who tries to keep up with the whims of a busy little pig.”
Both library media specialist Megan Wolf and Police Capt. Alisha Foley agree the event was a tremendous success, allowing students to interact with officers in a positive and familiar setting. The children enjoyed a fun and educational experience, reinforcing the importance of reading while building a sense of community.
Wolf told Foley afterward, “The kids are still talking about you! Hopefully, we can do this again next year!”
The Starfish Assignment explains on its website, “These fun events encourage literacy and allow the officers to bond with kids in their neighborhoods. The students have a chance to ask the officers questions about their jobs and lives. The most popular question is, Do you really like donuts? But our personal favorite was, Are there zombies in Cleveland?”
The organization says, “The quick-witted officer’s answer? ‘Yes, and I think they play football.’”
The Starfish Assignment says, “We don’t dictate where our partners read, knowing that they know what serves their communities best.”
Donations are accepted.