May 23, 2022:
Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks. - Dr. Seuss
Some students strolled leisurely in small groups, stopping frequently to check out the walls and shelves and standing displays filled with books, amazing books, seemingly endless books, at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester. Others preferred to be alone on the floor between the stacks, a chosen book on the lap. One little boy, suddenly forgetting his inside voice, boomed in awe, “Wow. I am totally in love with this place!”
Exactly the reaction intended by a collaboration between the Stratton Foundation and the Currier Memorial School (CMS). “We all know the importance of our daily work in the classroom,” says CMS Principal, Carolyn Parillo. “That effort provides a base of knowledge that can then blossom when those same children have an opportunity to broaden the world around them. What an amazing experience to be inside a fantastic bookstore.”
With the Stratton Foundation, Parillo found an eager partner. “Studies prove that enhancing a child’s education outside the classroom supports overall growth, confidence and learning,” says Stratton Foundation Executive Director Tammy Mosher. “We challenged Currier to think big and they delivered.”
A plan came together quickly that added a third collaborator. The Northshire Bookstore has an enduring relationship with Currier. Instead of sending books to the kids at school, why not bring the kids into the store, with its magical and vast children’s section, which encompasses the entire top floor. Even getting there, by climbing a gorgeous wide cast-iron set of stairs, is like entering the inside of a storybook.
During the week of May 16th, Currier scheduled five separate trips to the bookstore for all students of the school - preschool through grade five. At each trip, the students were met by a member of the Northshire staff, who would read a selected story to the group and help the youngsters find any book they wanted to take home. For free! As an added treat, the students ended their excursion with a snack from the Bonnet and Main Cafe.
One 4th grade boy had spent Women’s History Month learning about role models such as Amelia Earhart, Jane Goodall and others. He wanted to know if there were any books about Anne Frank: “She’s my hero!” He was quickly guided to the biography section where he was handed a copy of “The Diary of Anne Frank.” He clutched the book to his chest and then beamed as he proudly showed his choice to his teacher.
The first graders were overwhelmed by the choices. “They have all of the books by Dr. Seuss and Mo Willems!” Some kids simply knew the characters, with no idea of authorship. “Sonic is my favorite,” said one boy. "I need him to help process my life.”
All classes spent time in advance preparing for what to expect and how to act during the trip. They passed with flying colors. When a staffer asked, “This section is non-fiction, does anyone know what that means?” A hand shot up. “Not fake. Real.”
At the end, students gathered in the reading room and expressed their thoughts about the trip.
“There are so many books, it’s hard to choose just one.”
“I love just looking at all the books.”
“Books, books, books - it’s all about the books.”
One student, perhaps, summed it up perfectly.
"I could spend every day here!”
