As soon as summer hits, many kids prefer to leave books and lessons behind at school while they enjoy their newfound freedom for a couple of months.
Penelope Droege, on the other hand, is a girl with a thirst for knowledge and the desire to spread it. That’s why during her summer vacation, the 10-year-old kept busy with her own personal mission to encourage other children to read – out of her family’s garage.
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It all started when the Fort Worth elementary school student told her mom she wanted a summer job. At first, she considered dog walking, but then, the two came up with something even better.
With her parents’ help, the little book lover finally decided on running her own neighborhood library. She could use the books she and her three brothers already had. Plus, her dad, Brian, is a fourth grade teacher at Kay Granger Elementary School. He was more than happy to lend his own classroom library when he heard his daughter’s idea.
NBC DFW
With those books and some other donations, they were all set. Penelope and her family started opening their garage door for a few hours every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, lending out books for two-week periods with library and old-fashioned borrowing cards to keep track.
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And it wasn’t long before children began lining up outside the garage, eager for new books to take home. We’re sure Penelope couldn’t help but smile when she saw all the little girls and boys carrying with them the same desire for stories that always burned in her heart.
NBC DFW
Clearly, Penelope is her father’s daughter. And he couldn’t be prouder.
“I think the biggest part for me is that you’re creating life-long learners. That’s even when you get out of school that you should be reading and curious,” Brian said.
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What a fun and fantastic way to encourage reading year-round! We’re certain that as soon as school lets out next summer, Penelope will be opening her garage door once again.
Learn more about Penelope’s awesome summer project in the video below, and share to spread the idea!
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