LIVONIA, Mich. (WXYZ) — Buses full of Detroit Public Schools Community District students arrived at Laurel Park Place in Livonia Thursday for Bookstock — Michigan's largest used book and media sale — turning a field trip into a chance to discover stories they can call their own.
Watch Carli Petrus's video report:
Each student got to choose 10 books from thousands of donated options, completely free.
Fourth grader J'nya said she is already looking forward to reading at home.
"Sometimes when I'm sad, if I read a book, it helps me calm down, makes me feel better, and forget about the things," J'nya said.
For teachers like Adriane Blair, that impact is everything. She said, for many students in the district, access to books at home is limited.
"They didn't know when they got here how many books they were going to get; they didn't know, so, just for them to be explained to them that they were going to get this many books and they can shop from one table to the next, oh my gosh," Blair said.
Longtime volunteer Judy Robinson said all of the money raised through Bookstock goes back to education and literacy projects across metro Detroit. She said a grant from a bus company helped make the students' visit possible.
"They had received a grant from a bus company, so it puts more books into more hands," Robinson said.
The goal, Robinson said, is to keep sparking a love for reading.
"It's the best feeling that the kids want to read, they want to share what they got. If you look at them sitting here, they're reading their books, they're talking to each other, it's the basis for everything, it's wonderful," Robinson said.
When the sale ends, leftover books are donated, continuing to reach kids and families who need them most.
Bookstock runs through May 3. Organizers say it is open to everyone, and new items are added daily.
———————————————————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
