Gustine Unified School District will expand summer reading opportunities for elementary students thanks to a Dollar General Literacy Grant that will fund reading incentives, new books and family‑focused literacy events.
Chloe Martin, the district’s teacher librarian, said the grant will support two summer reading programs aimed at keeping students engaged with books during the months away from school.
“The Dollar General Literacy Grant is to promote summer reading by building a summer reading program,” Martin said.
Every student will receive a summer reading log to track minutes read. For every 120 minutes completed, students can turn in their log for a prize. Logs may be redeemed when school resumes in August or at Books and a Blanket events held throughout the summer.
The Books and a Blanket gatherings will invite families to bring blankets, listen to a read‑aloud from Martin or a guest reader, and take home a free book and an Otter Pop. Events will run from 11 to 11:30 a.m. on the following dates:
- June 10 at Gustine Elementary School
- June 24 at Romero Elementary School
- July 7 at Gustine Elementary School
- July 21 at Romero Elementary School
Although the locations alternate, Martin said families are welcome to attend any date that works for them.
Part of the grant will also fund a small, diverse summer library that families can check out during the break. Martin hopes to launch the collection during the Books and a Blanket events, giving students another way to access high‑quality reading materials.
Martin said she applied for the grant to strengthen the district’s reading culture and help prevent “summer slide,” the learning loss that can occur when students are away from structured instruction.
The reading logs are divided into 20‑minute increments to encourage daily reading habits. Martin said even short, consistent reading sessions can significantly boost vocabulary and literacy skills.
The grant will also help update aging library collections across the district. Many books have average publication dates around 2000, Martin said, and new titles will better reflect students’ interests and experiences.
“Being able to get an influx of current, quality children’s literature will help us update our collections, which is desperately needed,” she said. “These are the types of books that students will want to read, which aids our library’s mission of building lifelong readers.”
Martin said the grant strengthens literacy access by giving students multiple ways to engage with books—through reading logs, borrowing books, listening to stories and taking home free books.
“For Martin, literacy is the foundation of a child’s entire education,” she said. Helping students practice reading outside the classroom supports academic success and nurtures curiosity.
“Getting students to love reading is my life’s passion,” Martin said.
She added that books help students develop empathy by offering both “mirrors” that reflect their own lives and “windows” into the experiences of others. With new books available this summer, she hopes students will discover stories that resonate with them and spark imagination.
“I believe that this summer reading program will give students a way to borrow or build up a collection of books that serve as their own windows and mirrors,” Martin said. “And even sliding glass doors where they can step completely into a brand new world.”
