During this time, people have supported each other in countless ways, from students offering free tutoring to their peers to community members volunteering at a food pantry. As someone with strong aspirations to become an elementary teacher, I realized I wanted to take up a project to benefit young children in the area and established Bucky’s Bookshelf.

I established Bucky’s Bookshelf over the summer as a way to give families access to quality literature at a time when getting out to shop for books seems nearly impossible. With libraries closed and few offering book pick ups, elementary students have limited access to books. To help support these children, I created read-aloud videos of books of different genres and cultures. I then posted them to a virtual bookshelf for elementary students to enjoy. Only one day after launching Bucky’s Bookshelf, I received several views on the read-alouds and continued to add more videos each week.

As the bookshelf expanded, I recruited more Tualatin students to join me in my efforts. One volunteer, junior Zoe Taaffe, enjoyed the impact her videos had on the children who watched them. 

“I really enjoyed being a part of the Bucky’s Bookshelf program because it allowed me the opportunity to help out the young kids affected by COVID,” Taaffe said. “By reading a story, I was able to help with learning and joy in a child’s life, which is a great feeling!”

The work of students like Taaffe has made Bucky’s Bookshelf available for children at Deer Creek and continues to excite them about literature every day. 

If you love to read and want to donate your time to take a child on a reading adventure, I invite you to join the volunteers and me at Bucky’s Bookshelf. You can contact me at [email protected] if you are interested and would like more information.