A Gift For Teaching, a local non - profit organization for needy students, has announced a one-of-a-kind opportunity to help place quality children's books in the hands of low-income students.

"Books are the hardest things to keep in supply at our Free Store," said Gary Landwirth, president of A Gift For Teaching (AGFT). "Teachers who shop here like books more than anything else."

Now, thanks to the generosity of one children's book publisher and six Central Florida companies and foundations, $1 million worth of brand new books will be available at the Free Store operated by AGFT. Kevin Murphy, CEO of Reading Challenge, Inc., offered the books for the highly discounted price of $60,000 to better provide students and teachers with necessary reading materials in their homes and classrooms.

Recognizing a great deal at a great price, Landwirth turned to local Central Florida companies to help him take advantage of this opportunity. Representatives from the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation, Darden Restaurants, Bright House Networks, Bank of America, Track Shack and the Education Foundation—Osceola County stepped forward in a period of a week and a half to donate the money needed to purchase the books.

Edwina Terman, literacy coach at Maxey Elementary, spoke at the news conference in which the book acquisition was announced. She said there is a huge gap in knowledge between children who have access to books at home and those who do not. "I saw it with a list of 1,000 vocabulary words that I thought students should know," she explained. "I sent it to my second-grade niece who is surrounded by books at home and she knew about 960 words. I tested my fifth graders at the Title I school where I was teaching at the time, and the average score was around 250 words."

The books, which are part of the Values in Action series, features children's classics like Robin Hood and the Black Stallion. Terman hopes that in addition to building student vocabularies, these books will make a positive impression on them as well. "I hope they will learn what it means to be passionate about something, or how to be compassionate in caring about others," she said.

The books will be distributed through AGFT's Free Store in which teachers from Central Florida's highest - needs schools may shop for donated items for their classrooms. In addition, teachers will also be able to submit proposals for a classroom set of books in a new program called the "Bright Kids Book Giveaway." Information about the program will be available on AGFT's Web site, www.agiftforteaching.org, starting January 30.

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