At a recent Book-a-Palooza event, a 4th-grade boy stood to the side, seemingly uninterested in selecting a book. When one of our dedicated volunteers approached him, he confessed, "I don't like to read." Undeterred, the volunteer responded, "I think you just haven’t found what you like to read yet." Thus began a heartfelt mission to find the perfect book for this reluctant reader.
Through a series of questions—about his favorite TV shows, video games, and hobbies—nothing seemed to spark his interest. Then, the volunteer asked him what he did after school. He replied, "I like to go outside." When asked what he did outside, he eagerly shared, "I play soccer."
With that, the volunteer found a Magic Tree House book about soccer. His face lit up with excitement, and he thanked her warmly. But the story didn’t end there...
A few minutes after his class left, he returned to thank her again for finding a book he couldn’t wait to read. That moment was a powerful reminder of why we do what we do at Book-a-Palooza.
