Vancouver city councillor and fourth-generation British Columbian Andrea Reimer remembers reading in the pre-internet era. Coming from a low-income family who owned no books (or iPads or e-readers for that matter), Andrea’s family’s weekly trips to the local library signified her parents’ strident belief that literacy is the gateway to a bright and promising future. She affectionately recalls the first time her older brother was gifted a book all his own, The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, and how jealous it made her four-year-old self: “It was like a secret world; he was older, he could read, he had a book, which was all very exciting … I coveted it greatly.”
Not to be left behind, one year later Andrea received an ambitious tome to call her own: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. As the characters of the book were instantly transported to mystical realms via their magical wardrobe, so too was little Andrea transported deeper and deeper into her love of literature. “The metaphor of the wardrobe exists for all of us,” she notes warmly, “The idea that somewhere there’s a gateway through to a place that’s there for us to discover.”
Discover more of Andrea’s story here.
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A Good Book Drive is an annual book drive to bring stories to a new generation of readers, and support kids in need of new books. Running through the month of November, A Good Book Drive will be inspiring Vancouverites to purchase a new copy of their favorite kids’ book and deliver it to set locations throughout the city. At these drop off locations you can personalize your donation with a special bookplate, sharing the story of why that book is special to you. All books will be donated to this year’s book drive recipient, One to One: A Children's Literacy Program. Share your favourite stories with A Good Book Drive on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. |
