Houston Astros Foundation Literacy Bus Stops By Gray Elementary

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Gray Elementary School students were surprised with a visit from the Houston Astros Foundation Literacy Bus on April 22. Each student was able to select one book to add to their personal home libraries. As summertime approaches Gray Elementary Information Literacy Specialist, Christalyn Stansell wanted to continue encouraging the love of leisure reading. 

“This is not a school book or a library book,” Houston Astros Foundation Literacy Bus volunteer and former librarian, Marsha Fischer, reiterated. “This is a book just for you to have and add to your personal library.” 

Each classroom came outside one by one to visit the literacy bus. Fischer highlighted some of the different kinds of books students would be able to choose from and even highlighted some of the new titles available. Students were impressed with the book options and the decked-out Astros-themed bus. 

Gray Elementary fifth-grade students and Friends of Gray library volunteers, Nia García and Alberto Cardenas, were excited to get a chance to visit the literacy bus. Both of the students enjoy reading and spend their time outside of the classroom volunteering in the library. 

While searching for a book, García described her perfect book. “I look for books that have a good story to tell,” she said. “I first look up the books online to see what it is about before I pick them up from the library or go shopping.” 

Jose Machado, Gray Elementary student, was shocked to know that he was going home with a new book. 

“This gives books to people who are in need and maybe don’t know how to read,” Machado said. “We are lucky the bus came to our school. The Literacy Bus tells students that literacy can help them.”

The Astros Foundation, in partnership with Occidental, Houston Independent School Dis­trict, and the Houston Public Library Foundation host the Astros Foundation Literacy Bus. The bus travels to schools across the Houston area to provide free books to students in grades K-5.