W.C. Andrews
a Title I Elementary school in Portland, Texas

W.C. Andrews is a Title I Elementary school in Portland, Texas. The school has a high mobility rate, meaning students are often transferring in and out of the school. Many students that attend W.C. Andrews have no books to call their own.

Marisa Eddins, the school principal,  heard about First Book in 2007. “When I first opened an email explaining the First Book program, I thought it was too good to be true,” she said. “There had to be a catch somewhere. Deciding to take a chance, I applied for our first distribution.”

Thanks to Eddins’ decision to reach out to First Book, some of her students have built personal libraries over the years, and she has seen the impact the books have had.

The school also holds an annual parade where students dress up as their favorite storybook characters. “I am always amazed to see how many students are holding books that they have received from First Book,” said Eddins.

W.C. Andrews is always welcoming and enrolling new students. “When a new student arrives at our school, the first thing we do is give them a book from one of the distributions,” Eddins said. “It turns a scary situation into a happy one every time.”