Community

“Book Buddies” Delivered Free Books to Colbert Elementary Students

On June 2, 2023, more than 30 volunteer readers recently arrived at Colbert Elementary School for the “Book Buddies” event, an initiative designed to pair legal professionals with students to encourage reading and help build home book collections.

Fort Lauderdale Trial Firm Conrad & Scherer and Miami-based Levine Kellogg Lehman Schneider + Grossman (LKLSG) purchased new autographed copies of Brad Meltzer’s I am Superman for students in fourth and fifth grades.

All students in the school participated in the superhero-themed event and took home books with motivational superhero themes. Students and faculty alike dressed in superhero costumes and volunteers from both law firms, Hands On Broward, the Hollywood Police Department and the Broward County Library system joined the event, where readers helped students in all grades experience a new book.

Conrad & Scherer Partner Janine McGuire said the program’s mission is to ignite a love of reading in all students and help them build their own home libraries with new books.

 “The students in my fifth-grade class were spellbound by the new hardcover book personally signed by Brad Meltzer,” McGuire said. “What a special treat it was for me to read the book with them. You could have heard a pin drop, they listened so intently.”

“We thoroughly enjoyed being part of the ‘Book Buddies’ initiative,” said Jezabel Lima, a partner at Levine Kellogg, who also participated as a volunteer reader. “Seeing these students receive new books just in time for summertime reading was a great reward for all of us readers.”

Meltzer, the New York Times best-selling author of adult and children’s books, including the Ordinary People Change the World Series, recorded a special videotaped message for the students.

“I Am Superman is one of my favorite books because you learn that Superman’s greatest superpower is being kind,” Meltzer says in the video. “Keep reading, as reading is a superpower.” Visit https://www.conradscherer.com/bookbuddies23/ to view the full video.

The “Super Reader Day” at Colbert Elementary was also made possible with support from Broward County Public Schools and Literacy Community Connections with funding from Broward County Title I Department.