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Reaching out with literature

Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 14, 2008

FORT NORMAN - What nearly ended up at the Yellowknife dump is about to make a great impact on the kids of Chief Albert Wright School in Tulita.

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Daron Letts, owner of Squatterz Books & Curiosities, sits with a number of the books being sent to Tulita's school children. - Laura Power/NNSL photo

It's a collection of more than 2,000 books - many in new or gently used condition - that were until now overstock from the Yellowknife Public Library and Squatterz Books and Curiosities.

Tara Kearsey, communications assistant for Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington, said she and her daughter were at Squatterz taking a look at some of the overstock when the idea to send them to Tulita came up.

"I went over with Cassandra one afternoon to take a look at what was there," she said. "(The owner) said that he wasn't sure what to do with the books because nobody wanted them."

Remembering the fire that damaged Tulita's school in October, a plan was formed to send the overstock to the kids who lost every book in their library during the fire. Though the fire was mostly contained in another part of the school, smoke and water damage affected the library.

"For young minds, books are an emancipatory experience," said Daron Letts, owner of Squatterz. "In addition to offering development in literacy and critical thinking, books help young people to fuel their own unique and individual personalities and paths that will stay with them and grow throughout their lives."

The stock sent up includes books from the Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings, and many more that range from children's books to college level, Letts said. The books were hand-picked. More adolescent books were later donated by St. Patrick's church flea market.

"I think it's going to be a great help to the young people, and we're certainly very happy and thankful that there's generous people that are thinking about the children given the difficult times we've had with the school fire," said Troy Jenkins, senior administrative officer for the Hamlet of Tulita. "We're hoping that with the opening of the new school, which will include a library, these books will be a wonderful help in building that new facility."

The roughly 160 kids who attended the school are now learning at several different buildings in town, including the Tulita Hotel and the town's library. Principal Wayne Dawe said kids need literature in order to learn what's going on.

"We lost all of our reading material in the fire," he said. "All of this is just going to be one large bonus to our kids."

The books are expected to have arrived in Tulita by mid-week. Imperial Oil paid for the shipment.