Since it began a year ago, First Book – Madison County, a program coordinated by the Bonner Scholars Program at Berea College, has already successfully distributed almost five thousand children’s books to local childcare organizations including Madison County Headstart, Stepping Stones Daycare, and the One-on-One Tutoring Program at Berea College.

March 1-6, the local First Book Campus Advisory Board has planned a week of events. March 2 is "Read Across America Day" and the 100th birthday of Dr. Seuss, noted children's author.

Monday and Tuesday, March 1 and 2 - Berea College Berea Buddies program features Dr. Seuss stories and activities; Wednesday, March 3 - Reading to children at the Berea College Eco-Village; Thursday, March 4 - Reading to children at Berea College’s Child Development Lab and Madison County Headstart.

Activities open to the community are:

• Friday, March 5 - Green Eggs and Ham Dinner in the Woods-Penniman Commons on the College campus, from 6-8 p.m.; $3.00 cost supports First Book
• Saturday, March 6, 11 a.m. - Reading to children at Madison County Public Library, Berea.

First Book is a national non-profit organization with a single mission of battling illiteracy by placing books in the hands of children; books that are their very own; books that they can write their names in. Through a number of fundraisers, First Book CABs (Campus Advisory Boards and Community Advisory Boards) around the country are able to distribute free book grants to programs at no cost. The books are high quality children's books made available from major publishers at very low cost to First Book.

For more information and to find out how you can help support First Book, call Thomas Evans, chair of First Book—Madison County, at 985-3746.