OIA students receive new books, partnership promotes literacy

“I was looking for a way to receive discounted books for our school,” she said. “You usually have to be a Title I school (to receive them through First Book), but not always.”

The school received 140 books, and all 28 students that participated in the wish lists received two to three books. The remaining books are being distributed for free in the school’s cafeteria during lunch.

The books range in genre, from romance to Greek mythology to the supernatural.

“I tried to pick a good variety,” Neale said. “I went through and researched the books and chose ones I knew were school appropriate.”

The most popular book on the wish lists was “Dark and Shallow Lies,” a paranormal fiction thriller by Ginny Myers Sain.

This was the first year Neale has done this for her students at OIA, however, she provided something similar to students when she taught in Union County.

“I think we’ll definitely do this again next year,” she said. “We’re hoping to do one at the end of the school year, too.”

Neale said she and other OIA teachers and staff want the students to have the best chance possible when they graduate.

“I love to read because books are like an entrance to another world,” she said.

Freshman Kiya Napier said she likes to read because it’s a way for her to escape real-world problems.

“It’s a good way to take a break from reality,” she said. “It’s a good thing to read.”

Freshman Kaidyn Barr said she enjoys reading about different stories and different kinds of people.

“Seeing how different you may be from the main character or the side character or learning new things,” she said. “I’m currently reading a psychology paper on white collar criminals.”

Jordan Harris, a junior, agreed with Napier and Barr, saying he enjoys reading different stories.