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Health & Fitness

BookMobile's First Outing

Georgia King Village

Hey Guys! Just to keep you up to date with the latest Esses Book Mobile news, we would like to take this time to talk about our first event. On August 7th, at approximately 12 pm, three Book Mobile members arrived at the Georgia King Village housing complex to deliver the joy of reading to the children of the area. These members, as seen in the photos, were Dan Campbell, Daphne Campbell, and Jude Poku.

Upon arrival, the members met up with leaders in Newark Now, a community organizing group helping the city of Newark. Literally seconds after the tables were set up and the books were strategically arranged, and children began flocking to the scene. The event was set up to provide children from a specific summer camp with books at 12:30 pm, however, this clearly was not the case. Within fifteen minutes, dozens of children had already managed to come by twice- once by themselves, and once with their family and friends- all before the camp could event arrive! 

Not to worry though, the camp children still received a plethora of books. Thanks to local bookstores such as Montclair Book Center and Watchung Booksellers, both in Montclair, and Words in Maplewood, and phenomenal residents from the town of West Orange, there were plenty of books to go around.

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One story in particular from the event really struck the Book Mobile members as amazing, almost as if this was the very reason they chose to join the cause. A boy walked up to the stand; he was short and about 11 years of age, entering sixth grade. He claimed to have a deep love for baseball, and the boy even managed to recite the whole Boston Red Sox line-up off the top of his head (sorry all you Yankee's fans). While deliberately looking through the baseball books, a Book Mobile member questioned him, "If you like baseball so much, you ought to have heard of Jackie Robinson, right?" Somehow and someway, the boy never had heard of the legend. Right there and then he was given a book of Jackie Robinson, and he was instructed to read it and tell us about the baseball great upon the Book Mobile's next event at Georgia King Village. The boy promised to come back to us next time and with his newly assigned homework completed.

At around 2 pm, the Essex Book Mobile started their departure. Thanks to the kind people at Newark Now, more events will definitely be planned towards the end of the month and into the school year.

Find out what's happening in West Orangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For all reading this article, please help the cause! Donate books. Provide us with a location where we can donate books. Or, if you are willing, join the squad.

Yours Truly,

Essex Book Mobile

Email us at: essexbookmobile@gmail.com

 

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