Sunnyslope’s book drive collected 148 books this October to collect books and funds for future book fairs; the drive was sponsored by the Book Club, Key Club, and Congressional Award Club.

Both the Key Club and Congressional Award Club worked together to collect books brought in by the students while the Book Club, hosted by Librarian Patricia Jimenez, organized and counted the books from each class. 

Winning the Sunnyslope book drive this October, German Teacher Mary Walther’s third hour won a donut party from collecting the highest amount of books out of all classes.

Jimenez also said the winner “will get their own shopping day to come down” to the library.

This was the third time having a book drive, and Jimenez is happy with the results of this year’s drive. 

With just over a hundred books, Jimenez is able to have a more affordable and low cost book fair opposed to the expensive scholastic book fairs that have been held in the past.

Jimenez said, “The books were kind of expensive… and these kids couldn’t afford them. And it just made me sad because the book fair is fun.”

In the previous year, over 600 books were collected in the book drive and because of that, Jimenez doesn’t need as many books this year. 

Because everyone was at home for quarantine the past year, Jimenez said she thinks “they were all cleaning up their bookshelves… we still have some leftover from last year that we can put out.”

All of the books collected during the week of the book drive will go towards being sold in future book fairs for a low cost while the rest of the proceeds will also go towards buying additional books. 

Jimenez said the money “doesn’t go to buy books for the library… or anywhere else, we just take the money from the book fair and then we buy more books for the book fair.”

The Congressional Award club played a major role in the book drive as they used this opportunity to help out and add to their club service hours. 

Jimenez said the clubs run the book drive.

Walther, Congressional Award Club advisor, has her students help in the book drive and then they put together the book fair.

“They just help organize and collect… and then we give it to Mrs. Jimenez.”

In the years to come, Walther said she might “collect from other schools to donate as well.”