SAN YSIDRO, Calif. (KGTV) - When third-grader Andres Balcazar found out he was getting six free books figuring out exactly which books were the hardest part.
"I like the 'Captain Underpants,' 'Bad Guys,' and 'Hello Neighbor,' it's literally so hard to pick," said Balcazar.
The reason he gets to pick is because of viewers like you. Your donations, along with sponsors North Island Credit Union, Scripps Howard Fund, and ABC 10News, allowed Smythe Elementary to get the books starting Monday, which is National Reading Day. Students also got a water bottle and a backpack.
"While we do have a lot of students reading at grade level, we have a large proportion of our students who are not. So providing these books and having them have access to them is a huge deal," said Marlo Vasquez, Interim Principal. "I know when we track the data, it's going to have a huge impact on improving their reading levels."
The “If You Give A Child A Book” Book Fair had more than 3,000 titles in English and Spanish, but the most popular with students was 'Captain Underpants.'
What I like about 'Captain Underpants' are the characters," said Balcazar. "I like 'Captain Underpants' because he's funny, and he actually flies around with underpants."
"This is one of my favorite things we do here at ABC 10 News every year because reading is such an important cornerstone of growing up and learning, and to help these kids kick start that makes me proud to be part of this community," said ABC 10News morning anchor Jared Aarons who was on hand reading to the children with co-anchor Virginia Cha.
"It means a lot," said Balcazar.
The book fair goes on until Friday.
Follow Wale on Facebook, Tiktok, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
