From the dearly beloved classic Cinderella to the contemporary hit Encanto, Disney has created some of the most iconic and beloved family entertainment. So it should come as no surprise that Disney books are also favored by students. After Battle Ground Public Schools (BGPS) received a large donation of Disney/Hyperion books, the district graciously donated some of the excess books to Ridgefield School District libraries. Thanks to their generosity, the books are providing joy for many students, both as library checkouts and as prizes in reading contests.
BGPS sent 40 boxes of their excess books to Ridgefield school libraries. This is a large donation under any circumstance, but especially so considering how popular the Disney-themed titles are. The popularity and quantity of donated books were a perfect gift for Ridgefield’s school library programs.
“We were able to put some in the school libraries so students could check out the new books,” said Jubilee Roth, librarian at Union Ridge Elementary School. “We also had additional copies that we could use as prizes for our reading incentive programs, which the kids get really excited about.”
At Union Ridge, the reading incentive program is called Library Ninjas. Roth started the Library Ninjas program to model good library behavior, encouraging students to be stealthy and silent as they seek out books. The program also has an element called “Ninjas Read” that encourages students to read new books each month. The bulletin board outside the library is loaded with brightly colored worksheets showing the students’ reading choices. Now, the big prize box for Library Ninjas includes some of the newly-donated Disney books.
The reading incentive program at South Ridge Elementary School is called Read the Rainbow. Librarian Emily Crawford has students “read the rainbow” by reading books with a cover from each color in the rainbow. After completing the rainbow, students can choose a reward from the prize bin which includes the new Disney books, a bag of Skittles, or a charm for their book charm keychains. South Ridge also has a bulletin board full of completed worksheets so students can see what their classmates are reading, and perhaps find a recommendation for the next book they’ll read.
With books from the “A Twisted Tale” series that imagine new adventures for Disney characters like Mulan or Frozen’s Anna and Elsa, students are getting more excited about reading. Ridgefield school librarians hope that this is another small step on the way to developing a lifetime love of reading.
“We’re so happy and grateful to have received a donation that encourages kids to read things they enjoy,” Roth said.