Reading should be fun! This was the theme of Books on Break, which brought free book fairs to seven of Chatham County Schools’ elementary schools in low-income communities in April and May. Whether students were into silly stories, exciting mysteries, magical worlds, or real-life facts, there was a book to please every student.
Organized by Chatham Reads, a program of the Chatham Education Foundation (CEF) and Chatham County Schools, Books on Break helps prevent summer learning loss by providing books for students to read over the summer. Each student from preschool to 5th grade got to choose 4-5 books to take home and keep forever. In all, nearly 2,400 students took home 10,060 books.
Before students selected their books, CEF staff gathered each class and shared numerous ways to have fun with books this summer–from reading in a cozy fort to having a backyard reading picnic to pairing up with a reading buddy. Students were encouraged to pick out books they could read on their own. “Children should be reading easy books in the summer,” said Kathy Havens, Chatham Reads program manager. “We don’t want them to get frustrated and see reading as a chore.”
Once students were given the go ahead to pick their books, they had a wide variety to choose from: picture books, early readers, chapter books, graphic novels, and magazines–new this year. CEF staff personally selected high-interest books that they knew students would want to read. Mo Willems’ “Elephant and Piggie” books and the “Who Was?” series were a couple of favorites.
Funding for the books came from individual donations, grants, and gifts from local companies. CEF staff worked hard to find the best price for each book, averaging $2.75 per book, to stretch the 36,000 budget. The magazines–Sports Illustrated Kids, High Five, Highlights, and Kazoo–were a big hit and all 650 copies were donated by the publishers.
Grants awarded in 2025 include those from Enbridge Gas, BOLD Companies, Connie Fenner State Farm, Mountaire, and Central Electric Membership Corporation. McIntyre’s Books in Fearrington Village also provided support by creating an online wishlist that let buyers select, receive a 20% discount, and donate books directly to Books on Break. The Fearrington Village Carolina Club and the Daughters of the American Revolution Deep River Chapter purchased the majority of the 120+ books donated through McIntyre’s.
Chatham Reads is incredibly thankful for the 99 volunteers who worked at the book fairs setting up, helping students pick their books, and packing up. Many volunteers come back year after year to help with Books on Break because it is so rewarding to bring the joy of reading to students. Ellen Manning, who volunteered at Pittsboro Elementary School, said, “I enjoyed watching the kids’ excitement while choosing books then sharing what they found with a friend. I also loved helping those children who had difficulty choosing books find what they’d like and seeing their smiles and eye sparkles when they put them all in their bag.”
This year, Central Electric Membership Corporation provided all of the volunteers and financial support to bring Books on Break back to Moncure School. This wonderful video showcases what Books on Break is all about–bringing community together to ensure all Chatham County Schools’ students have access to books in the summer.