GRANT SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY FUNDS WILL PLACE 500 NEW BOOKS ON CAMPUS SHELVES.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LITTLEROCK - Almondale Middle School will be able to beef up its library after being presented with a $5,000 grant Tuesday by California first lady Sharon Davis.

Almondale was among 20 schools in Southern California awarded Governor's Book Fund School Library Enrichment Grants at a ceremony in the Richard Riordan Central Library in downtown Los Angeles.

``We can't wait. We've been poring over book catalogs,'' said Deme Larson, an Almondale teacher who wrote the grant application. ``At Almondale, we're so isolated. Even though we have a wonderful local library, most of our kids don't really have access to it. They really depend on our library.''

Almondale was among the more than 1,200 California schools that applied for the grants and was selected by the California State Library Foundation. Davis chairs the book fund.

The 500-student middle school has about 2,000 volumes in its library, which comes out to about four books per student. Larson estimated that paperback books cost an average of $9, so the money could potentially add more than 500 books to the school collection.

Larson said the money will be used to buy high-interest books for readers of all abilities, including those reading below their grade level and gifted students.

``Some of our readers are on the lower level, fourth- and fifth-grade. They don't want to read about bunnies, they want to read about hurricanes. It will be age-appropriate but leveled for their reading level,'' Larson said.

The money also will be used to buy books and materials for students in the Gifted and Talented Education program. ``The main thing for the gifted and talented is to keep their minds stimulated,'' Larson said.

Larson also will look at updating the library's collection by getting biographies of more recent figures that would appeal to the school's culturally diverse population.

While walking in the Central Library, Larson excitedly told herself, I can afford any book that I want in here, she said.

In the grant application, Larson said she wrote about the school library's lack of books and the age of the volumes. She also mentioned the school's reading programs, including the Breakfast Club.

In the Breakfast Club program, students read a selected book once a month and then participate in a Jeopardy-style quiz contest before school, Larson said. The PTA provides a light breakfast at the event, Larson said.

The mission of the Governor's Book Fund is to develop resources from the private sector that will be used to increase and enhance the literacy skills and the enjoyment of reading for all Californians, especially children.

Last year the book fund handed out 47 grants.

Also announced Tuesday was the launch of the ``Reading is the Way Up'' program, a partnership of the book fund, Davis and City National Bank, which will provide books for school libraries.

City National Bank presented a contribution of $100,000 to Davis.