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Written by Administrator
Sunday, 12 April 2009 02:13
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By Jeff McDonald
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 27, 2003
So there was Roosevelt Brown, just to the right of the Organ Pavillion stage yesterday morning, by himself for the time being, surveying all that he had created.
Everywhere he looked, children were lining up for free books, giddy with the prospect of the stories between two covers and building a library of their own.
"Books were not a big part of my life," says Brown, 60, a moment later, when asked why he has given away more than 1 million books over the years. "That lack of reading caught up with me, and I didn't want that to happen to any other child."
Books may not have been much a part of Brown's youth. Yet, over the past quarter-century, they have grown as familiar and constant as his own family – the centerpiece of his campaign to arm children with knowledge.
This was the 18th year he has organized a massive book giveaway in San Diego, an event that has become so popular it is now held in the center of Balboa Park.
Hundreds of families from communities all over the county showed up at the Organ Pavillion early yesterday to attend the annual Children's Book, Art and Cultural Festival.
Besides the benefit of free books, cookies and juice, they were entertained by a ballet folklorico, an African drumming and dance troupe and a handful of other performances.
The music and dancing were great, several children said, but they served mainly to pass the time before they were invited to choose a book.
"I read every day at school, on Saturdays I read the comics and on Sundays I read the Bible," said Clayton Bew, a 12-year-old from Encanto. "I'm going to look for some seventh-grade books because I'm in sixth grade now."
Brown established his nonprofit Reading Literacy Learning Inc. to enable him to raise money to buy books and give them to children. In addition to the annual book party, the organization distributes books in various neighborhoods every month.
It is important to give kids new books so they feel a sense of pride and ownership, in addition to becoming excited about reading, Brown said. "It's like getting a brand new bicycle," he said.
Volunteers divided thousands of books into three groups: kindergarten through third grade; fourth through sixth grade; and seventh through twelfth grade. Most of the children had to wait 10 to 20 minutes for their turn to pick a book so the distribution could proceed in an orderly fashion.
Before the volunteers opened up the book giveaway, master of ceremonies JaMarr Brown had the crowd yelling "I love to read" over and over.
The offerings not only included classics like "Treasure Island" and "All Quiet on the Western Front," but books like "The Kids Book of Gross Facts and Feats" and "World's Best Loved Poetry."
After studying his choices, 9-year-old James Carter of Tierrasanta selected a paperback copy of the bestseller-turned-blockbuster movie, "The Perfect Storm" by Sebastian Junger.
"It's the true story of men at sea," James said. "A big wave kills them all."
Nearby, Virgilio Burgo picked a copy of Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "The Day The World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland" by Jim DeFede.
"I felt sorry when it happened and I wanted to learn about it," said the 12-year-old, with reference to his second choice.
Last Updated ( Monday, 11 May 2009 19:25 )
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