LAST PAGE: Sue Straub, 60
Retired North Syracuse teacher spreads the joy of reading through her Book Van Go program
By Mary Beth Roach
This Liverpool resident and retired teacher was at the recent Syracuse Crawfish Festival with her Book Van Go program. She talked about how and why she started this book giveaway project for children about seven years ago.
Q: Tell us a little bit about the Book Van Go program.
A: When I was actively teaching — I taught for 34 years in the North Syracuse Central District — we had a rule in English Language Arts to do a little reading at night. I had a student who said ‘I don’t own any books, I only have coloring books.’ When I was a kid, there was a book van that came to my neighborhood and I loved it. So, I had this idea of starting a book program where parents and families could donate books and then I would redistribute them to kids that wanted them.
Q: How long have you been doing this?
A: We bought a van in 2018 and started it. Just this last year, we became an official not-for-profit. Before it was funded by my husband and me; friends would give us books and money.
Q: Where do you go?
A: During the school year, I’m often at schools and because my heart is in North Syracuse and that’s why I started it, I give those schools first priority, but I go everywhere. I’m at the Crawfish Festival, I go to baseball games, Little Leagues. I’ve gone to all kinds of schools near and far, UPK (Universal Pre-K) programs, pre-schools. In the summer, we park the van at a variety of parks and offer books to families that are visiting playgrounds.
Q: The kids are able to keep the books?
A: When I first started it, I was always worried about the number of books — would I have enough books? So we had limits. We no longer have limits. We have SO many families that really love books and give them to us when they’re finished with them. We say to kids now, ‘you take as many books as you promise to read.’ We also have some ladies in the Syracuse area that have adopted us; they sew book bags for the kids.
Q: What does this program do for you?
A: My mom was a teacher. I struggled to learn to read. I didn’t really become a solid reader until I was in the fifth grade. And we had a book van that came to our neighborhood and I just loved it. I loved going to the library. I was lucky that I had access to books so that I could practice. I love meeting families. I really think with all the mental health issues that we have, sitting down in a quiet space with a comforting adult and reading is the best thing for a child.
Q: What kind of response do you get, especially in light of all the electronics that kids have access to?
A: A lot of times, people look at Book Van Go and see our table and think it’s a book fair and they have to pay. They’re really surprised that we’re 100% free. And kids have a choice. I don’t just have one kind of book. I have every kind of book. We don’t believe in any kind of book banning. I have a selection of books that are for teens and I guide kids to books that they might want, of all different kinds of interests — non fiction and board books for babies, right up through young adult and high school.
Q: Do you get an opportunity to see the impact that a program like this has?
A: From feedback we get from parents, excited that something’s free. I had a parent this morning with a child who said, ‘Oh my gosh. We read every single night and it’s so nice to have some new books to add to that.”