By Hannah Lambert-Shue
Photo by Hannah Lambert-Shue.
Purchasing books can be expensive, especially when buying new copies from major retailers. For some readers, the costs of books can make it difficult to afford and can limit their collection. But for people local to Largo, Florida, they can visit a bookstore that offers prices as low as $2.
The Book Rescuers in Largo, owned by George and Sarah Brooks, is a warehouse-turned-bookstore that spans over 14,000 square feet and has been selling affordable books for the past two years. The store offers hundreds of different genres, including fiction and nonfiction, science fiction, romance novels, and children’s books, etc.
“You can buy one book at Barnes and Noble, or you can get 10 to 30 books here,” the owner of the store, George Brooks, said.
Located at 8325 Ulmerton Road, it is a central point in Pinellas County that people can access from across the region. With its plethora of book choices and unique community space, this store brings in readers throughout the county.
Making books more accessible
Once his furniture store started lacking business, Brooks decided it was time to start something new. After he talked to an Amazon book seller, he learned that most of the books they buy in bulk go to waste. When he mentioned this to his wife, she immediately thought about selling them for a dollar a piece. He said it was an encouraging sign she said this, because he already had 800 books in his car.
The goal is just to make a dent in what ends up in the landfill, as well as provide portable literature, support teachers, and literacy programs is our overall mission,” he said.
He said books should be more affordable for everyone.
The Book Rescuers prioritizes the community in their work, by having partnerships with dozens of schools and 42 libraries. They also have discounted deals on select days of the week for students, teachers, seniors, small business owners, health care, and military personnel.
“We just gave 500-ish books to Great Explorations (children’s museum in St. Petersburg; we do that quite often,” Brooks said.
This is just the beginning for the impact the Brooks’ business will have on the community, children, and the environment. The founders aim to continue to provide accessible reading materials for people while also having an ethical business.
How access to books supports literacy
While having a space for people to access price-friendly books can encourage more people to read, it can also play an important role in literacy development. Making reading materials more accessible can be helpful for students who need books to continue developing their skills outside of the classroom.
This is especially important for children who need the extra time at home to support their development in their formative years. According to the Nation’s Report Card, 14% of 13-year-olds reported they read for fun, which is down 27% since 2012.
A third-grade elementary school teacher, Dawson Hamilton, has seen firsthand the challenges that come along with children who struggle with reading. Whether it’s from advancing grade levels, comprehension issues, or learning vocabulary, he finds it especially important for students who are having trouble in the classroom to practice at home.
“As a teacher, I only have a certain amount of time each day to focus on reading instruction, so opportunities to practice at home can make a difference. Reading outside of the classroom helps students strengthen their skills while also building their overall confidence,” Hamilton said.
He has noticed significant gaps in foundational reading skills as students progress through elementary school. In third grade, schools start to transition students from learning how to read, to using reading to learn. His class is expected to understand more complex texts, use skills to make inferences, and be able to give answers that are supported by evidence.
“In my experience, attendance, student motivation, and access to educational resources can affect reading development. Every student learns differently so it’s important to recognize those individual needs rather than expecting every child to progress at the same pace,” he said.
Addressing literacy challenges in Pinellas County
Reading development is important during childhood, and it is also important for adults who struggle with everyday reading tasks. The Literacy Council of St. Petersburg is a nonprofit organization that works to offer free tutoring lessons through one-on-one instruction or community learning to improve their literacy skills.
According to their research, one in 10 adults have trouble performing common literacy tasks each day that might be easier for others. These include reading books to a child, understanding job applications, or reading medication on a prescription bottle.
Linda Frease, who serves as the Secretary on the Board of Directors, explained the three major categories of adults seeking assistance at the Literacy Council. The first category is people who never learned how to read, who she said are primarily from outside of the U.S. The second category is people who are reading at a third or fourth grade level who typically have learning disabilities, and the third is people with serious cognitive challenges.
The biggest issue that Frease highlighted was the lack of volunteers willing to teach students. Since they are a nonprofit organization, they rely heavily on the help of volunteers and obtaining them can be difficult. She explained that oftentimes people will reach out to become a volunteer, then the organization does not hear back. This can be discouraging as there are people actively waiting for help.
“I currently have at least six people on a waiting list to be paired with a volunteer, and I don’t have any volunteers. I have a few people who have written in and said that they were interested but then I emailed them and I don’t hear back,” she said.
While educators work to help children become more proficient readers and nonprofits continue to support adults learning with literacy issues, The Book Rescuers are bridging the gap between cost and accessible reading materials by ensuring that affordable books are for everyone. Together, they are working to contribute to the future education of Pinellas County.
